Updates: FSU soccer hosts Texas A&M for second-round NCAA Tournament match

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU sports information:

The Florida State women's soccer team (17-0-1) continues its incredible season on Friday as the Seminoles host Texas A&M (10-7-4) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN+. The two teams met on Aug. 17 in College Station, Texas, where FSU prevailed with a 2-1 victory thanks to a goal in the 86th minute from Taylor Huff.

NCAA Tournament History

• Three National Championships
• 22-0-1 in the first round
• 20-2 in the second round
• 16-3-1 in the third round
• 11-4-2 in the quarterfinals
• 5-7-1 in the semifinals
• 3-3 in the finals
• 77-19-5 in the NCAA Tournament

Last Time Out
The top-seeded Seminoles took care of business in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Morehead State in a 5-0 win against the Eagles. Five different Seminoles tallied a goal including Olivia Garcia, Peyton Nourse, Lauren Flynn, Jody Brown and Beata Olsson. FSU recorded their 10th shutout of the season.

Familiar Foe
FSU and Texas A&M have become somewhat of a familiar foe in the postseason. Friday will mark the fourth time since 2009 that the two teams have met in the postseason. FSU is 3-0 against the Aggies in the postseason with wins in 2009, 2012 and 2015. FSU has outscored Texas A&M 11-1 in the three postseason meetings. The two teams met on Aug. 17 of this year in College Station, Texas, where FSU prevailed 2-1. In the match in August, FSU was without starters Jody Brown and Leilanni Nesbeth and got just 59 minutes from ACC Offensive Player of the Year Onyi Echegini who was coming off a World Cup appearance with Nigeria.

ACC Champs
For the fourth consecutive season, Florida State won an ACC Championship. FSU defeated Pitt (2-0) and Clemson (2-1) to claim the program's 10th ACC Championship. FSU claimed both the ACC Regular Season Championship and the ACC Tournament Championship for just the fourth time in program history.

Florida State vs. The SEC
The Seminoles are 56-16-3 against teams from the SEC. The Seminoles have played rival Florida the most out of any of the SEC schools. The Seminoles hold a 16-13 record against the Gators and a 40-3-3 record against all other SEC opponents.

Pensky vs. The Aggies
Florida State Head Coach Brian Pensky holds an 8-1 record against Texas A&M, including a 5-1 record in College Station. Eight out of the nine matches took place while Penksy was the head coach at Tennessee.

Success at Home in the NCAA Tournament
FSU has been dominant at home in the NCAA Tournament. Out of 59 games, FSU has advanced in 56 of those games while losing just twice. Overall, FSU has a 55-2-1 record in NCAA Tournament games in Tallahassee. In those 58 games, FSU is outscoring its opponent 164-23.

A Historic Run
Florida State has been a perennial power for most of this century, but FSU was able to accomplish something they never have in school history this regular season. FSU completed its first ever undefeated regular season in school history with a 14-0-1 record. FSU did complete the 2020 regular season with an 8-0 record with a conference-only schedule. FSU's 18 game unbeaten streak is the third-longest streak in school history.

Getting Hot
FSU forward Onyi Echegini has been very impressive all season but has taken her game to another level in recent weeks. In her last seven games, Echegini has scored seven goals and has emerged as the ACC's leading goal scorer. Echegini has scored 10+ goals in back-to-back seasons and is the first Nole to accomplish that feat since Deyna Castellanos in 2018-19. Echegini was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and the ACC Tournament MVP.

A Star in the Making
Freshman forward Jordynn Dudley has put together one of the best freshman seasons in the country. Dudley has scored 10 goals while adding seven assists. Dudley had back-to-back two-goal matches against No. 1 North Carolina and Miami. Dudley is the only freshman to have three multi-goal games this season. Dudley is tied for fourth among freshmen for total goals scored this season and is tied for second in the ACC in total goals. Her 10 goals is also tied for fourth in school history among freshmen.

Dynamic Duo
The Seminoles have one of the top scoring duos not only in the ACC but also in the country with Jordynn Dudley and Onyi Echegini. Echegini (13) and Dudley (10) have combined to score 23 goals for the Seminoles this season. Echegini and Dudley are the top two scorers in the ACC. This is the first time since 2014 that FSU has had two double-digit scorers in a season.

Historic Offensive Numbers
FSU put together one of the best offensive seasons in ACC history. During ACC play, FSU scored 36 goals this season in ACC play which is a new school record and is the second-most goals in ACC history behind North Carolina's 37 ACC goals in 2007. FSU is also on pace to break the school record for assists per game, points per game and goals per game in a single season. FSU currently has the best offense in the country with 3.28 goals per game. The Seminoles also lead the country in assists per game and points per game.

Spreading the Wealth
Florida State is the best team in the country in terms of spreading the ball around. 13 players have scored for the Seminoles this season which is a top 10 mark in school history. FSU is ranked first in the country with 3.78 assists per game. Taylor Huff leads the team with 12 assists which ranks sixth in the country. Huff's 12 assists is the fifth-most in a single season by a Seminole.

Suffocating Defense
FSU has once again been one of the top defensive teams in the country. FSU has shut out three out of their last four opponents and have given up just four goals in their last 10 games. Against Miami, the Seminoles did not allow a single shot. This was the first time the Seminoles have held an opponent to 0 shots since Sept. 8, 2019, against Samford. It was the eighth time the Seminoles have held an opponent to 0 shots and just the third time and first time since 2014 that FSU has held an ACC opponent to 0 shots.

Strong PK Showing
Overall, Florida State has a combined record of 12-4 all-time in postseason penalty kicks - including a record of 10-2 since 2005 - and earned the 2011, 2015 and 2016 ACC Championship and the 2021 National Championship by way of PKs.

Comeback Kids
FSU has trailed just three times this season and have made comebacks in each match to either win or tie the match. FSU has trailed twice at the half this season against Syracuse and No. 18 Pitt and came back to win 3-2 in both matches. FSU also fell behind against No. 1 UNC in the final minutes but got a last-second goal from Mimi Van Zanten to earn the draw.

Finishing Strong
The Seminoles have dominated teams in the final 25 minutes of the match. In the last 25 minutes of their games this season, FSU is outscoring opponents 24-4 with two of those goals being surrendered against No. 1 North Carolina.

Dominating the Second Half
The Seminoles have been unstoppable in the final 45 minutes of their first six matches. In the second half this season, FSU is outscoring their opponents 43-4 compared to just a 14-8 advantage in the first half. Under Head Coach Brian Pensky, the Seminoles have outscored their opponents 84-14 in the second half.

 

[fredfarkle336]

FSU sports information:

The Florida State women's soccer team (17-0-1) continues its incredible season on Friday as the Seminoles host Texas A&M (10-7-4) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN+. The two teams met on Aug. 17 in College Station, Texas, where FSU prevailed with a 2-1 victory thanks to a goal in the 86th minute from Taylor Huff.

NCAA Tournament History

• Three National Championships
• 22-0-1 in the first round
• 20-2 in the second round
• 16-3-1 in the third round
• 11-4-2 in the quarterfinals
• 5-7-1 in the semifinals
• 3-3 in the finals
• 77-19-5 in the NCAA Tournament

Last Time Out
The top-seeded Seminoles took care of business in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Morehead State in a 5-0 win against the Eagles. Five different Seminoles tallied a goal including Olivia Garcia, Peyton Nourse, Lauren Flynn, Jody Brown and Beata Olsson. FSU recorded their 10th shutout of the season.

Familiar Foe
FSU and Texas A&M have become somewhat of a familiar foe in the postseason. Friday will mark the fourth time since 2009 that the two teams have met in the postseason. FSU is 3-0 against the Aggies in the postseason with wins in 2009, 2012 and 2015. FSU has outscored Texas A&M 11-1 in the three postseason meetings. The two teams met on Aug. 17 of this year in College Station, Texas, where FSU prevailed 2-1. In the match in August, FSU was without starters Jody Brown and Leilanni Nesbeth and got just 59 minutes from ACC Offensive Player of the Year Onyi Echegini who was coming off a World Cup appearance with Nigeria.

ACC Champs
For the fourth consecutive season, Florida State won an ACC Championship. FSU defeated Pitt (2-0) and Clemson (2-1) to claim the program's 10th ACC Championship. FSU claimed both the ACC Regular Season Championship and the ACC Tournament Championship for just the fourth time in program history.

Florida State vs. The SEC
The Seminoles are 56-16-3 against teams from the SEC. The Seminoles have played rival Florida the most out of any of the SEC schools. The Seminoles hold a 16-13 record against the Gators and a 40-3-3 record against all other SEC opponents.

Pensky vs. The Aggies
Florida State Head Coach Brian Pensky holds an 8-1 record against Texas A&M, including a 5-1 record in College Station. Eight out of the nine matches took place while Penksy was the head coach at Tennessee.

Success at Home in the NCAA Tournament
FSU has been dominant at home in the NCAA Tournament. Out of 59 games, FSU has advanced in 56 of those games while losing just twice. Overall, FSU has a 55-2-1 record in NCAA Tournament games in Tallahassee. In those 58 games, FSU is outscoring its opponent 164-23.

A Historic Run
Florida State has been a perennial power for most of this century, but FSU was able to accomplish something they never have in school history this regular season. FSU completed its first ever undefeated regular season in school history with a 14-0-1 record. FSU did complete the 2020 regular season with an 8-0 record with a conference-only schedule. FSU's 18 game unbeaten streak is the third-longest streak in school history.

Getting Hot
FSU forward Onyi Echegini has been very impressive all season but has taken her game to another level in recent weeks. In her last seven games, Echegini has scored seven goals and has emerged as the ACC's leading goal scorer. Echegini has scored 10+ goals in back-to-back seasons and is the first Nole to accomplish that feat since Deyna Castellanos in 2018-19. Echegini was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and the ACC Tournament MVP.

A Star in the Making
Freshman forward Jordynn Dudley has put together one of the best freshman seasons in the country. Dudley has scored 10 goals while adding seven assists. Dudley had back-to-back two-goal matches against No. 1 North Carolina and Miami. Dudley is the only freshman to have three multi-goal games this season. Dudley is tied for fourth among freshmen for total goals scored this season and is tied for second in the ACC in total goals. Her 10 goals is also tied for fourth in school history among freshmen.

Dynamic Duo
The Seminoles have one of the top scoring duos not only in the ACC but also in the country with Jordynn Dudley and Onyi Echegini. Echegini (13) and Dudley (10) have combined to score 23 goals for the Seminoles this season. Echegini and Dudley are the top two scorers in the ACC. This is the first time since 2014 that FSU has had two double-digit scorers in a season.

Historic Offensive Numbers
FSU put together one of the best offensive seasons in ACC history. During ACC play, FSU scored 36 goals this season in ACC play which is a new school record and is the second-most goals in ACC history behind North Carolina's 37 ACC goals in 2007. FSU is also on pace to break the school record for assists per game, points per game and goals per game in a single season. FSU currently has the best offense in the country with 3.28 goals per game. The Seminoles also lead the country in assists per game and points per game.

Spreading the Wealth
Florida State is the best team in the country in terms of spreading the ball around. 13 players have scored for the Seminoles this season which is a top 10 mark in school history. FSU is ranked first in the country with 3.78 assists per game. Taylor Huff leads the team with 12 assists which ranks sixth in the country. Huff's 12 assists is the fifth-most in a single season by a Seminole.

Suffocating Defense
FSU has once again been one of the top defensive teams in the country. FSU has shut out three out of their last four opponents and have given up just four goals in their last 10 games. Against Miami, the Seminoles did not allow a single shot. This was the first time the Seminoles have held an opponent to 0 shots since Sept. 8, 2019, against Samford. It was the eighth time the Seminoles have held an opponent to 0 shots and just the third time and first time since 2014 that FSU has held an ACC opponent to 0 shots.

Strong PK Showing
Overall, Florida State has a combined record of 12-4 all-time in postseason penalty kicks - including a record of 10-2 since 2005 - and earned the 2011, 2015 and 2016 ACC Championship and the 2021 National Championship by way of PKs.

Comeback Kids
FSU has trailed just three times this season and have made comebacks in each match to either win or tie the match. FSU has trailed twice at the half this season against Syracuse and No. 18 Pitt and came back to win 3-2 in both matches. FSU also fell behind against No. 1 UNC in the final minutes but got a last-second goal from Mimi Van Zanten to earn the draw.

Finishing Strong
The Seminoles have dominated teams in the final 25 minutes of the match. In the last 25 minutes of their games this season, FSU is outscoring opponents 24-4 with two of those goals being surrendered against No. 1 North Carolina.

Dominating the Second Half
The Seminoles have been unstoppable in the final 45 minutes of their first six matches. In the second half this season, FSU is outscoring their opponents 43-4 compared to just a 14-8 advantage in the first half. Under Head Coach Brian Pensky, the Seminoles have outscored their opponents 84-14 in the second half.

I bet Jimbo attends.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Few minutes into the match, which began at 5:37.

Broadcast is on ESPN+ if you want to watch along.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU has largely controlled possession through the first 10 minutes but did just concede (and defend) a corner kick to Texas A&M.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Another great crowd out here at the Plex and they are getting a killer sunset along with a competitive soccer match to boot.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU just had two corner kicks in quick succession (three in the match so far) but wasn't able to do anything with them. FSU still without a shot, Texas A&M has the lone shot so far. But the ball has been in FSU's attacking area farmore than A&M's.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Bad FSU turnover just gave Texas A&M a prime scoring opportunity. Great ball across the box set up an open header which bounced off the ground and then off the crossbar and out of the danger zone.

Some sloppiness early in this one from FSU.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU getting closer now. Had a header just a bit wide of goal a few minutes ago and then a through ball to Taylor Huff in the box which was just long enough to let the TAMU goalie come out and get it.

Still scoreless in the 28th minute.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU now stacking chances now. Corner kick into a crowded box was grabbed by the A&M keeper and then a run into the box by Jordynn Dudley was just a smidge too far and knocked away by a defender.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU finally gets its first shot from Onyi Echegini in the 32nd minute. Nice series of passes led to her at the top of the box but her shot went wide of goal.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU inches away from the go-ahead goal. Free kick in a dangerous spot which ended up getting flicked just wide of goal.

And then FSU finally gets its first shot on goal in the 40th minute, forcing a turnover deep in FSU territory with a shot from Maria Alagoa ripped right at TAMU's keeper.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU gets one more chance in the closing seconds but can't do anything with it.

Scoreless at the half in Tallahassee. Texas A&M outshot FSU 4-3 over the first 45 minutes and had two shots on goal to FSU's 1 but the Seminoles had a 5-1 corner kick advantage and controlled much of the possession.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Teams are back out of the locker rooms. Second half going to get underway shortly. We'll see if FSU can carry over the strong momentum it ended the first half with.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Taylor Huff with another close call, ripping a shot from outside the box that was just a bit wide of goal.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Texas A&M got a chance as Mia Pante forced a turnover and made a long run nearly the entire length of the field before ripping the shot wide.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU finally gets on the board. Jordynn Dudley made an exceptional run, heading a bouncing ball twice to herself before controlling it and knocking it into the net for a 56th-minute opener.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Christina Roque with her first really strong save of the night. Texas A&M gets numbers on a break and puts a good shot on goal, but a diving save from the FSU keeper keeps the Seminoles in the lead.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Roque with another save, popping a bouncing header over the crossbar for a corner kick.

A&M definitely pushing more numbers forward now with just under 20 minutes left. Could present the opportunity for what would be a huge second goal for FSU.

 

[CurtWeiler]

FSU wins 1-0 to beat No. 8 seed Texas A&M and advance to the third round. That match will be Sunday at 5:30 p.m. against No. 5 seed Texas, which beat Wisconsin earlier Friday at the Seminole Soccer Complex.