No. 1 Virginia (16-1-2, 9-1 ACC) could have hung their heads when Florida State (14-2-4, 6-1-3 ACC) freshman midfielder Natalia Kuikka intercepted and netted the opening goal or when junior defender Kirsten Crowley buried a go-ahead score in the second half.
Instead, Cavalier senior center back Emily Sonnett huddled up her teammates, and Virginia kept fighting.
Prior to Sunday, four consecutive matches between Virginia and Florida State had ended in a 1-0 score. The Cavaliers decided their fate would not be sealed, though. Senior forward Makenzy Doniak, whose careless pass found the feet of Kuikka and contributed to Virginia’s early deficit, responded with an equalizer at 31:55.
Junior midfielder Alexis Shaffer sent a corner swinging into the center of the box. A scuffle ensued as freshman midfielder Betsy Brandon’s redirect hit the post and floated towards Doniak. Seminole defenders standing on the goal line watched as Doniak headed off the crossbar, settled the rebound and willed the ball into the back of the net.
A very physical, fast-paced first half came to a close. The score remained 1-1. Coach Steve Swanson addressed tactical areas of play, conceivably a need to incorporate senior forwards Brittany Ratcliffe and Kaili Torres out on the flanks.
Virginia turned up its pressure, forced Florida State turnovers in the midfield and pushed numbers forward. Sonnett, who led a three-back formation enabling the Cavaliers to position an extra player in the midfield, dribbled up the field on one or two occasions. But the Florida State defense prevented Sonnett from slipping a pass behind its line.
The Seminoles reclaimed the lead at 54:26 with an effort similar to Doniak’s. Off an inswinging corner, Crowley snapped a header towards the far post. Had it not been for Torres’s incredible stop at that moment, Crowley would have scored. What seemed like the game-saving play only delayed a Florida State goal for a second. Glancing off cleats and jerseys, the ball ended up at Crowley’s feet, and she buried it near post.
Virginia spent the next five or so minutes running around rattled without much possession, while Florida State continued to attack and narrowly missed scoring a third goal. Eventually, Virginia settled down and answered. Junior defender Meghan Cox connected with sophomore forward Veronica Latsko, who slipped a pass to Doniak, who finished near post.
Both teams failed to convert any chances that arose during the remainder of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods. So the nail biting began as junior defender Kristen McNabb received the ball from the referee and approached the penalty spot. She drilled it by sophomore goalkeeper Cassie Miller. The next eleven takers buried their shots without a measure of doubt. But the ACC title came down to Cox’s miss and Seminole redshirt junior forward Berglind Thorvaldsdottir’s make.
Virginia awaits its NCAA First Round game Friday at home. The Cavaliers should still be rewarded with a No. 1 seed, but the loss may cause them to slip to No. 2.
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