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Soccer advances to College Cup

Bob Ferrante

Ultimate Seminole Insider
Staff
May 10, 2022
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The Florida State soccer team advanced to the College Cup for a third straight season with a 1-0 win over Arkansas on Saturday evening.

Jenna Nighswonger’s corner kick in the 53rd minute bounced off a Razorbacks player and into the net for the game’s only goal. FSU coach Brian Pensky said it's the 12th goal of the season that has come as a result of a Nighswonger corner kick.

"The corner left my foot and I said, 'Oh my, God, That was not good.' And I think just luck had it that it went in. That was not on purpose," Nighswonger said.

Cristina Roque had five saves for FSU. Roque improved to 12-1-3 on the season.

FSU (17-2-3) is the defending champion and will play in the Cup with North Carolina, UCLA and Alabama. While FSU was the preseason No. 1 team, this is a significant achievement for Pensky, in his first year at FSU, and the Seminoles. It is Pensky's first trip to the College Cup after long stints at Tennessee and Maryland.

"It's my first as a head coach," Pensky said. "It's the standard here. It's old hat for these two and a lot in that locker room. Pretty lucky to be their coach."

An overflow crowd of 2,667 watched the game on Saturday, with some in the parking garage across the street. It is the largest postseason crowd in FSU history and sixth largest crowd at the Seminole Soccer Complex.

Saturday's win sends the Seminoles to their 13th College Cup appearance in program history and fourth in the last five years. The Seminoles head back to Cary, N.C., for the College Cup with an ACC Championship rematch against second-seeded UNC on Dec. 2.

 
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