The No. 1 Virginia women’s soccer team concludes its regular season Thursday with a huge road matchup in Tallahassee, Fla. against No. 3 Florida State.
A lot is on the line at the Seminole Soccer Complex Thursday — The Cavaliers (15-1-1, 8-0-1 ACC) sit atop the ACC standings and clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title with Sunday’s win over Miami. The Seminoles (14-1-1, 7-1-1 ACC), however, could grab a share of the title themselves with a win.
For the Cavaliers, the regular-season ACC title is their third in program history and first since 2015. Florida State will be looking to earn at least a share of the regular-season championship for their second consecutive season.
Virginia enters Thursday’s contest red hot, having won five straight since an Oct. 3 tie against then-No. 5 North Carolina. During this stretch, the Cavaliers have outscored opponents 20-3 and asserted themselves as perhaps the best team in the country this season.
The Cavaliers are coming off a dominant effort in Sunday’s 6-1 victory over Miami. Junior forward Diana Ordoñez and fifth-year forward and midfielder Haley Hopkins led the way for Virginia with two goals each, while senior forward and midfielder Alexa Spaanstra added a goal and an assist.
Standing in the Cavaliers’ way Thursday is another one of the country’s premier programs. The Seminoles have made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament championship game since 2007, resulting in national titles in 2014 and 2018. Since 2011, the Seminoles have also won seven ACC Tournaments.
This season has been no different for Florida State. The Seminoles entered the season ranked No. 1 in the pre-season poll and have lived up to expectations, starting the season 14-0-0 before an Oct. 21 tie at North Carolina.
Florida State has struggled in its last two contests, however. After tying with North Carolina, the Seminoles dropped their first game of the season Sunday at No. 6 Duke. In a defensive battle, Florida State’s typically blistering offense was stymied by the Blue Devils. The Seminoles were shutout 1-0 and managed just four shots on goal.
To pull off the big win, Virginia will need to have similar defensive success. The Seminoles’ offense leads the ACC in goals with 51 and goals per game with 3.19, ranking fourth in the nation in goals per game and fifth in total goals.
At the head of the Seminoles’ offensive attack is sophomore forward Beata Olsson, who leads the team with 11 goals and is also first in the ACC in goals per game with 0.79. Olsson was named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season for racking up five points in an Oct. 1 game at Clemson.
Virginia is certainly capable of containing the Seminoles. The Cavaliers are second in the ACC in number of shutouts with 10 and are No. 15 in the nation in goals-against average with 0.555. Virginia will need another stellar game from fifth-year goalkeeper Laurel Ivory, who has allowed just three goals since Sept. 17.
The Cavaliers have no shortage of offensive firepower either. Ordoñez leads Virginia with 13 goals this season and is tied for first in the nation with six game-winning goals. Sophomore midfielder Lia Godfrey will be another important factor for Virginia. After being named ACC Freshman of the Year last season, Godfrey has had another strong year. Her 12 assists lead the Cavaliers and are tied for fourth in the nation.
Although Florida State represents the toughest challenge Virginia has faced this season, the Cavaliers have all the tools necessary to come away with the victory. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on ACC Network.
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