TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The No. 8 Florida State soccer team (3-0-2) took down Florida Gulf Coast University (2-4), 5-0, in Tallahassee on Thursday night.
Thursday's win marks win 183 wins at home since 2005.
In the month of September, the Seminoles’ all-time record is 140-56-11 with 58 wins in the last 70 matches played. Since 2005, the Seminoles are 96-20-8 in September since 2005 with 69 shutouts. The Seminoles boast an impressive .901 win percentage at home since 2005.
Cristina Roque earned another clean sheet and a win with the shutout over FGCU. Roque is a combined 29-0-8 in her career. She has been a key part of the Seminole defense, extending the unbeaten streak to 14 games, dating back to the last game of the regular season in 2021.
The offense has proven to be best in the second half with four or more goals in the second half of the last two games. Despite firing off 11 shots in the first half, the Seminoles were unable to find the back of the net. After halftime, Florida State came out and scored two minutes into the second half. Clara Robbins scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Jody Brown. Robbins received the pass from Brown in the middle of the 18-yard box and finished it with one touch between the defender’s legs.
Eight minutes later, freshman Olivia Garcia added another tally for the Seminoles. Jenna Nighswonger beat FGCU’s outside right defender and sent the ball into the box, forcing the keeper to come out and deflect it. Garcia was in the right place at the right time, finishing the deflection with one-touch into the lower left corner of the goal.
The Seminoles came back and scored another goal in an even shorter amount of time, tallying the third goal only two minutes after the previous one. Sophia Nguyen sent in a cross from the right side to Garcia on the far post. Garcia collected the cross and laid it back to Robbins at the same spot as her first goal. This time around, Robbins had enough time to take a touch and curl it into the upper right corner, leaving the FGCU keeper with no chance of saving it.
Emma Bissell scored the fourth goal of the match in the 82nd minute. Bissell collected a clearance from Heather Gilchrist deep in the Seminole defense at midfield. In a valiant solo effort, Bissell dribbled down the field, fending off FGCU defenders before striking the ball into the lower right corner of the net from the left side of the 18-yard box.
In the final minute of play, Olivia Lebdaoui scored her first career goal. Maria Alagoa sent the ball over the Eagle’s defense into space for Lebdaoui to run on to. Lebdaoui cut the defender to the left and finished it in the upper left corner of the goal.
