TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) — The number one ranked Seminole Soccer team (20-1-2) moves on to the College Cup following a 1-0 overtime win against No. 9 Michigan (18-6-3) at the Seminole Soccer Complex.
The Seminoles will travel to Santa Clara for their second straight College Cup appearance. This will be the eighth time that the Seminoles head to the College Cup in the last 11 years and their 12th appearance in program history. The 1-0 win in the first overtime was the Seminoles’ 20th win of the season and concluded their 12 game unbeaten streak at home this season. The Noles’ Elite 8 record improved to 10-4-2. Florida State has won six games in overtime in NCAA postseason play, with only two wins coming within the first overtime period.
Cristina Roque came up big with four saves, tying her season-high against Virginia. The formidable backline of Jaelin Howell, Lauren Flynn, Emily Madril, Kirsten Pavlisko and Gabby Carle helped keep Michigan out of the net the entire 99 minutes of play. Today’s match marked shutout number 12 of the season.
The first half consisted of many quality chances on goal for the Seminoles. Beata Olsson found the back of the net in the ninth minute but it was recalled for being offside by mere inches. The next best chance was in the 16th minute off of a corner from Jenna Nighswonger. Nighswonger bent the ball towards the goal inducing a slight scramble among Michigan’s goalkeeper and defenders. The ball looked as though it had bounced over the goal line and was called for official review. After review, the referee determined that there was no goal, and play continued.
In the second half, the Seminoles created a stronger push in the offensive half, totaling seven shots in comparison to only two in the first half. Nighswonger and Clara Robbins led the team in shots with two apiece, followed by shots from Howell, Madril, Olsson, and Yujie Zhao. A saved penalty kick from Michigan kept the game tied in the 74th minute. 90 minutes was not enough time for either team to produce a goal and the Seminoles headed into their 13th postseason overtime game.
In the 99th minute, with one minute left in the first overtime period, the Seminoles finally found the back of the net. With a strong push forward and heavy presence in the box, Howell served the ball from the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post. With a diving effort, Carle kept the ball from going out and flicked it back toward the field of play. The Michigan goalkeeper left her line to challenge Carle, leaving Olsson unmarked on the goal line. Olsson finished Carle’s saving play with one-touch into an open net. The team stormed the field and celebrated their 10th quarterfinal win.
