FORT MYERS, Fla. – Bringing a vast array of high-level experience at a young age, Phil Boerger has joined the FGCU men’s soccer program as an assistant coach. Boerger, who spent the 2014 season at Georgia Southern, began his duties earlier this month.

In addition to his year as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern, Boerger was also an assistant at the University of Jamestown (N.D.) and Syracuse University, in addition to playing at the University of Evansville and Syracuse. At all three of his previous stops, Boerger has coached two all-league goalkeepers and Freshman All-American Goalkeeper Alex Bono over the past three years.

“I am thrilled to be joining Florida Gulf Coast University and the men’s soccer program,” Boerger said. “I want to thank Coach (Bob) Butehorn and everyone at FGCU for welcoming me to Southwest Florida and this great campus. I am excited to be joining a program and athletic department that has had recent success, and I look forward to helping FGCU reach even greater achievements. There are a lot of exciting things happening with FGCU Athletics, and I feel like it is a great time to be an Eagle.”

While with Georgia Southern from January 2014-March 2015, Boerger coached and trained Sun Belt All-Conference Goalkeeper Jack Falle. Under Boerger’s guidance, Falle finished 7th in the nation in saves per game (5.71) and also 7th in the country total saves (97) last year. Boerger planned and implemented team- and goalkeeper-specific training sessions with the Eagles, in addition to managing official and unofficial visits while recruiting student-athletes from throughout the country.

Prior to his time with Georgia Southern, Boerger spent the 2013 season at NAIA Jamestown as an assistant coach where he developed Frontier Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Tom Cooke. As he did with Georgia Southern, Boerger oversaw the goalkeepers, while also assisting in all facets of the program’s daily operations.

Boerger spent the 2012 campaign training Bono, the aforementioned Freshman All-American Goalkeeper. Bono posted a 0.85 goals-against average, the third-best single-season mark in Orange history, and also delivered 10 shutouts, one shy of tying the single-season school record. Syracuse finished the year ranked No. 17 in the nation, reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen and Boerger was part of the Big East Coaching Staff of the Year.

“We’re excited to have Phil join our program,” added head coach Bob Butehorn. “He brings a lot of experience at a young age and we feel he’ll be a great addition to our club. He has a great energy which will be impactful, and we’re looking forward to having him get to work.”

Boerger replaces Alec Dufty, who resigned earlier this spring to become the Goalkeeping Director for the Toronto FC Academy and assistant coach for Toronto FC II. In Dufty’s two years with the Eagles, he guided rising redshirt junior Danny George (Safety Harbor, Fla./Countryside HS) to a spot on the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team in 2013 and rising senior Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) to tie the program’s single-season shutout record with nine – four more than anyone else in the A-Sun – this past fall.

Boerger began his collegiate playing career at Evansville in 2008 where he made 34 appearances over three seasons, and was named an All-Missouri Valley Conference selection following a sophomore campaign in which started all 21 matches, posted five shutouts and ranked second in the MVC with 69 saves.

Following his junior year with the Purple Aces, Boerger transferred to Syracuse for the 2011 season where started all 16 games and finished fourth in the Big East in saves with 76 and led all Big East goalies in saves per game during conference play (5.4). Boerger, who was on the Academic Honor Roll at Evansvile, was also tabbed to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll with Syracuse.

Boerger graduated from Syracuse in May of 2012 with a degree in sociology.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men’s soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer and Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached 45 A-Sun All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just four years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three A-Sun Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented five-straight A-Sun regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets, and in 2013 he won his 100th career game.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.