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No. 1 Florida State soccer prepares for another battle atop the ACC against No. 18 Pitt

jack williams, tallahassee democrat
·3 min read

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Who: No. 1 Florida State (11-0-1, 6-0-1 ACC) vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh (12-2-1, 5-1-1)

When/Where: Thursday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m., Seminole Soccer Complex

TV: ACCNX

Free Kicks

The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-1 on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.
The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-1 on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

  • Florida State is coming off a statement victory over No. 11 Notre Dame, 4-1, last Thursday. Onyi Echegini netted her seventh and eighth goals of the season, tying Jordynn Dudley for the team lead and third in the ACC.

  • While the Seminoles stars had a strong showing against the Irish, head coach Brian Pensky highlighted the victory for the team effort, with newcomers and transfers playing a part in the win. It's been a trend for FSU over the last few games as the scoring effort has expanded.

  • FSU has at least one player in every ACC statistical leader category:

    • Shots: Jordynn Dudley 3.42 per game (4th),

    • Shots on goal: Jordynn Dudley 1.75 per game (4th)

    • Goals: Jordynn Dudley 8 goals (4th), Onyi Echegini 8 goals (4th)

    • Assists: Taylor Huff 7 assists (4th)

    • Game-winning goals: Taylor Huff 3 goals (1st), Jody Brown 2 goals (4th)

    • Points: Jordynn Dudley 1.75 points per game (2nd), Onyi Echegini 1.58 points per game (3rd), Taylor Huff 1.25 points per game (8th)

  • In ACC goalkeeping statistical leaders, Cristina Roque ranks fourth in goals against average (.833 GAA) and fourth in shutouts (six shutouts).

What FSU needs to win

  • Do not give West, Schupansky, Phiri space: Similar to FSU, Pittsburgh brings forth a triple threat on offense in Amanda West, Sarah Schupansky and Samiah Phiri. The trio is dominating the ACC in scoring as West averages 4.13 shots and 2.27 shots on goal a game. Schupansky leads the ACC in scoring with 10 goals. Phiri and West follow closely with eight. This is a team that knows how to score and can do it a lot.

  • Score early: In its last game against Syracuse, Pitt scored three goals in the first half, cruising to a 4-1 win over the Orange. While FSU has yet to lose, it's taken it a second to find its groove and the back of the net. Finishing on opportunities in the first 20 minutes is going to be key in staying ahead in this game.

  • Keep playing at a high standard: The Seminoles dominated against Notre Dame and have been playing the best soccer in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches Poll as they rank No. 1 again this week. Keeping play consistent the same way it has been will allow FSU to keep the winning streak alive.

ACC standings

Florida State (11-0-1, 6-0-1 ACC 19 pts) No. 1 nationally

Pittsburgh (12-2-1, 5-1-1 ACC 16 pts) No. 18 nationally

Clemson (11-1-3, 5-1-1 ACC 16 pts) No. 8 nationally

Notre Dame (9-2-3, 5-1-1 ACC 16 pts) No. 12 nationally

North Carolina (9-0-6, 4-0-3 ACC 15 pts) No. 3 nationally

Wake Forest (8-2-4, 2-2-3 ACC 9 pts) RV nationally

Virginia Tech (6-6-3, 3-4-0 ACC 9 pts)

Louisville (3-7-5, 2-3-2 ACC 8 pts)

Miami (3-7-4, 2-4-1 ACC 7 pts)

Virginia (6-3-5, 1-3-3 ACC 6 pts)

Duke (5-5-3, 1-3-3 ACC 6 pts) RV nationally

NC State (2-7-6, 1-3-3 ACC 6 pts)

Boston College (3-9-3, 0-6-1 ACC 1 pt)

Syracuse (2-11-2, 0-6-1 ACC 1 pt)

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams. 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: No. 1 Florida State soccer hosts No. 18 Pitt in another primetime matchup