Breaths are tight, adrenaline is high. All eyes watch the final seconds go down and faces flush every time the referee almost blows the whistle. On Dec. 4, the crowd was charged with garnet and gold, along with mighty War Chant roars echoing in the background as the Florida State University Women’s Soccer team officially won its fourth NCAA title in a single decade.
The Seminoles won their first title in 2014, then 2018, then 2021, and just became 2023 National Champions. While this wasn’t the first title the Seminoles acquired, it was the first title under Brian Pensky, the second-year head coach for FSU’s soccer team. The 5-1 victory over Stanford was remarkable compared to other games, as it was the most prevalent championship with the most goals scored since 2003. The Seminoles ended the season strongly after an unforgettable 22-0-1 undefeated victory.
The anticipation was high when the absolute powerhouse of Florida State Athletics rushed onto the soccer field. The Seminoles conquered the season; hence, this game against a second-ranked team was a true dealbreaker. As the 14th goal of her freshman season, Jordynn Dudley headstarted with a penalty goal in the 29th minute of the first half. But one goal wasn’t enough for the Seminoles; they were hungry for more.
The streak continued as the Stanford goalkeeper’s high-kicked ball landed right onto Dudley’s cleats at the midfield line. Quick on her feet, she dribbled and passed it to Taylor Huff, who sent it over into the penalty box to Jody Brown. The power of Brown’s touch got the ball bouncing straight from the crossbar into the goal. Immediately intimidating the Cardinals, both goals were scored 26 seconds apart in the first half of the game.
The second half brought some good luck for Stanford, as they scored their first goal at the 52nd-minute mark. Despite FSU goalkeeper Cristina Roque’s close save attempt, the ball slid through the tip of her fingertips. The girls kept their energy high as smiles radiated throughout the benches and on the stands as Seminole fans continuously cheered them on.
A few minutes later, Beata Olsson teleported to the penalty area within seconds and earned the third goal for Florida State in the 61st minute. The dream duo, Brown and Olsson, ruled the field of WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. They outran and passed all the Cardinals, putting the Seminoles up 4-1 with another Brown beast goal. They were one step closer to the goalpost and one kick closer to winning. With only six minutes left in the whole game, Onyi Echegeni wrapped up the lengthy season in the 84th minute. Since 2005, this was the most goals Stanford allowed even close to the goalpost.
Both teams made history coming in hot into the championships as two undefeated NCAA women’s teams in collegiate soccer. However, Florida State holds the honor of being the top-scoring offense in the country. After the disappointment and heartbreak from the College Football Playoff committee earlier in the same week, the Seminoles needed this victory as a Division I school. Florida State Athletics have officially secured their 19th national championship title, thanks to the FSU soccer team’s talented and hardworking women.
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