TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It’s rivalry weekend for the third-ranked Florida State soccer team as the Seminoles (2-0-0) travel to play No. 8 Florida (2-0-0) in Gainesville on Friday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. before returning home to face No. 17 UCF (2-0-0) on Sunday, September 1 at 1:00 p.m. Friday night’s match will air live on SunSports.
This weekend will mark the first two ranked opponents the Seminoles will face in 2013. Florida State faced the Gators (No. 22) and the Knights (No. 9) last year with both teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of the meeting. FSU was victorious in both matches by identical 1-0 scores. The Seminoles went on to finish the 2012 campaign 11-3-0 against ranked foes and 4-2-0 against teams ranked in the top 10. Under head coach Mark Krikorian, Florida State is 62-33-8 all-time against ranked opponents.
Against Florida, Florida State has won nine of the last 15 games in the series, including two in a row - the Seminoles longest win streak in the series since 2005 and 2006. The last seven matches have been decided by one goal including two of the last four in overtime.
With a 1-0 victory last year, the Noles became the first school to successfully defend their home turf since Florida defeated FSU 2-1 in Gainesville back in 2007. Florida State has won the last two matches in Gainesville - both by one goal - defeating UF 1-0 in OT in 2009 and then 3-2 in 2011. The road team has held the upper hand in the series winning seven of the last 10 games.
Kristin Grubka’s goal in the 10th minute was the difference last year as FSU defeated UF 1-0 in front of packed crowd of 2,243 inside the Seminole Soccer Complex.
Since the arrival of head coach Mark Krikorian in 2005, FSU is 5-3-0 against UF posting a series-best two wins in a row in 2005 and 2006 and then again in 2011 and 2012.
On Sunday, Florida State will look to extend its school-record 20-game home winning streak when the Seminoles welcome the UCF Knights for a 1:00 p.m. start inside the Seminole Soccer Complex.
After a one-year hiatus in 2011, Florida State traveled down to Orlando last year and defeated No. 9 UCF 1-0 on a goal by Dagny Brynjarsdottir in the 26th minute. The Seminoles outshot the Knights 12-6 for the match, while Kelsey Wys picked up the shutout making four saves.
Sunday’s match marks the 13th all-time meeting between the Seminoles and the Knights with FSU leading the overall series 9-3-1. The Noles have won two in a row in the series and have not lost to UCF in Tallahassee since 2004 (L, 2-3).
Florida State has won five of the last seven meetings against UCF outscoring the Knights 17-5, while FSU has dominated at home over the last three meetings with three wins and +9 goal differential which includes two shutouts.
Head coach Mark Krikorian owns an all-time record of 5-1-1 against the Knights. UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts-Sahaydak is in her first season with the Knights but is no stranger to the ACC as she was a standout midfielder for North Carolina from 1995-98.
