Coaches

Kristin Giotta
Head Women's Soccer Coach
Phone: 973-443-8943
Email: spohner@fdu.edu

Kristin Giotta is now in her 11th season at the helm of the women's soccer program and is the longest standing head coach in program history.

The Devils have reached the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Tournament four of the last six seasons under Giotta's guidance. During Giotta’s tenure with the program, the Devils have reached post-season play six out of ten seasons and have won two MAC Freedom regular season championships (2006 & 2010).

In 2014, Giotta became the winningest head coach in program history, surpassing previous head coach Renee Montana’s win record with 82 victories at FDU. In November of 2015, Giotta garnered her 100^th career coaching victory as a collegiate coach. She had five wins prior to her time at FDU when she coached at New Jersey City University during the 2005 season in her first head collegiate coaching role.

In 2010, FDU had one of their finest seasons ever, winning a school record 15 games and earning the Freedom Conference Regular Season Championship with a 6-0-1 record. The Devils then advanced to the Freedom Conference Tournament Finals and to the Semifinals of the ECAC Metro Region Tournament. For her efforts, Giotta was named Freedom Conference Coach of the Year. Additionally in 2010, FDU garnered their first ever NCAA regional ranking.

In her first season with the Devils, Giotta guided the team to their first ever Freedom Conference Regular Season Championship with an undefeated record (6-0-1) in conference play. The Devils also reached the Freedom Conference Finals and the ECAC South Region Championship Game. Giotta led the Devils to a then-school record 14 win season in 2006.

Over the course of her eleven seasons at FDU, Giotta has coached 18 MAC All-Conference Selections, 3 NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Selections and a Conference Co-Player of the Year in Brittany Kanickij in 2010.

Off of the field, Giotta’s players have excelled in the classroom, earning NSCAA Team Academic Awards consecutively since 2011. Michelle Hickey was also named to the Honorable Mention NSCAA Scholar All-America Team in 2012 and 2013.

Prior to coming to FDU, Giotta spent one year as the Head Coach at New Jersey City University and 3 years as an Assistant Coach at her alma mater, Monmouth University.

A 2001 graduate of Monmouth, Giotta was a two-time First Team All-Conference goalkeeper for the Hawks. In 1999 and 2000, she helped the Hawks earn back-to-back Northeast Conference Regular Season Championships. As a junior, she finished the year allowing only 13 goals in 1,633 minutes played. She also posted 90 saves and a 0.72 goals against average, ranking her 14th in the nation in the final NCAA Division I poll. After her collegiate career ended, Giotta spent one year with the NJ Lady Stallions of the Women’s Professional League.

Giotta earned her bachelor's degree from Monmouth in 2001 with a double major in special education and elementary education. She received her master's degree from Monmouth in 2005 in educational counseling.

Giotta holds a USSF National ‘D’ License and a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. She has been a goalkeeper coach for the NJ Girls Olympic Development Program since 2005. Giotta is extremely active in the development of youth and club players around the state and has prior stints with Peninsula Soccer Club, PDA Shore, Toms River FC and FC Copa Academy. Giotta also owns and operates Upper Ninety Training, LLC which is a soccer training company that employs an all-female staff of collegiate coaches and players.

She currently resides in Wall, N.J. with her husband, Dave, their daughter Lyda and a soon to be addition to the family in February of 2016.

Katy Fissel

Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

Katy Fissel enters her fourth season at FDU-Florham after a stellar career at Wilkes University. A Madison, New Jersey native, she attended Madison High School where she played varsity soccer, basketball and softball. During her soccer career, she played for multiple club teams, including Cranford, Millburn and PDA. Fissel also played three summer seasons (2009-2012) with the WPSL Millburn Magic.

At Wilkes, Fissel was a five-season starter – playing the additional season after redshirting in 2010 with an injury. She was a three-year Captain earning All-Conference Team Honors for four years. An All-Region team member, Fissel was voted second team once and first team twice. Katy was voted to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Atlantic second team in 2011, the ECAC All-Star team and NSCAA Scholar All-Region team in 2012. Fissel wrapped up her career at Wilkes with 17 goals and 15 assists equating to 49 points.

Fissel has her F license in coaching and plans on obtaining her National License next year. She brings to the Devils a broad-spectrum knowledge of the game and a passion for the sport. Katy is looking forward to supporting Coach Giotta in her quest to take the Devils to the Conference playoffs this season.

Graduating Cum Laude with a major in Integrative Media and a minor in Art, Fissel freelances in Graphic Design and will be a Teaching Assistant in the Madison Public Schools starting in September. Fissel currently resides in Madison, NJ and enjoys doing charity work in her spare time.

David Farmer
Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

David joined the FDU women's soccer team in the spring of 2013 when he took over as the goalkeeper coach.

Hailing from Aberdeen, Scotland, David is vastly experienced in soccer. When his professional career was derailed by injury while playing for Aberdeen FC at the age of 15, he continued to play semi-pro until obtaining his coaching licenses at age 19.

After moving to New Jersey in 2007, where he currently resides, David became goalkeeper coach at The Pingry High School's Girls soccer program for one season.

In addition to coaching at FDU, David coaches for Sportika Soccer Club.

Mike Lyons
Volunteer Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach

Mike Lyons begins his first year as an assistant coach with the women’s soccer program.

Coach Lyons has excelled in club soccer with twelve state championships and three regional final appearances. He also has experience in goalkeeping training; speed and agility, and professional field development during his incredible career. Coach Lyons is an exceptional tactician and efficient in the psychological development of high level athletes. In 2012 he was the Director of Coaching of the Freehold Soccer League.

Coach Lyons has been around the collegiate game for fourteen years. He was a part of the University of Notre Dame Men's Program (1981-1983), Georgian Court University (1993-1998) and Kean University Women's Program (2000-2014). At Notre Dame he was an assistant coach and also helped start the women's program transforming them from a club team to an NCAA competitive team. He was the Head Coach at Georgian Court University for the women’s side who were nationally ranked during his tenure. Most recently he coached at Kean University where he was regarded as a valued recruiter for the program.

Coach Lyons has an extensive and distinguished background in the youth and collegiate soccer world but has also managed and coached at the professional level. He coached for Sky Blue FC who won the WPS Championship in 2009 and also coached the Washington Freedom/Magic Jack SC in 2011. On top of his outstanding resume, he has also personally trained Christie Rampone, captain and member of the United States Women’s National Team.

Coach Lyons currently holds a “A” diploma from the Scottish Football Association and a USSF Coaching Diploma.