Florida State began its 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament campaign with a bang. The Seminoles faced off at home against the Samford Bulldogs, the winners of the Southern Conference Tournament.
The Noles
lined up in a slightly altered formation, with Wrianna Hudson and Solai Washington up top and Jordynn Dudley dropping slightly deeper into midfield. Dudley has a high defensive work rate and often positions herself as a false 9, so the change had some foundation, but it was still a surprise this late in the season.
FSU was aggressive from the start, with the entire team getting involved in the attack. Left back Mimi Van Zanten wasted no time getting into the final third, making a daring run to the endline in the 4th minute and crossing toward Hudson. The ball drifted out of bounds before anyone could get on it, but it set the tone for the Noles’ aggressive game plan.
In the first nine minutes, the Noles got a couple more good looks at goal, including when Hudson danced through traffic and drove the ball to the top of the penalty box. She launched a would-be banger toward the net, but the ball didn’t dip in time.
In the 10th minute, winger Sophia Nguyen connected with Taylor Suarez, who carried the ball to the endline and maneuvered around the Bulldog defense. She pushed the ball across the face of goal, searching for a runner, eventually finding the feet of Yuna McCormack after a brief bobble by Samford goalkeeper Peyton Hull. It was a great team goal, made possible by relentless pressure.
Hull stayed busy between the sticks, including when she kept Hudson off the scoresheet with a diving, athletic save in the 12th minute. Solai Washington also tested Hull in the 14th minute when she received a beautiful cross from Suarez just outside the box. She couldn’t quite get the final shot off, giving Hull the chance to snuff out the opportunity.
Samford got its first official shot off in the 22nd minute after Mamie Carman slipped past Sophia Nguyen and made a beeline toward goal. Heather Gilchrist stepped up to apply pressure, allowing Nguyen time to recover into the backline and ultimately block the shot. Samford’s confidence grew as the half wore on, but FSU continued to control the match.
By the 30th minute, Coach Brian Pensky had rotated most of the midfield, resting key players such as Suarez, McCormack, and Janet Okeke. Much of the octane seeped out of the match, and scoring chances became less frequent. The Noles generated a few more opportunities before halftime, including in the 40th minute when Van Zanten drifted high after nutmegging her way past her Samford mark. She was still 10 yards outside the penalty area but created enough space to fire a rocket that rattled the crossbar and missed by inches. The Noles closed the half with 10 shots, but only 1 goal to show for it.
The Noles opened the second half with the starting lineup, looking to reignite the intensity they had early in the match. They moved the ball with rapid, sharp passes and quickly began generating offensive chances. Just three minutes in, Dudley received a dangerous ball from Suarez inside the box. She split two defenders and got a shot off—low and powerful toward the far post—but Hull made another diving save to push it away. Suarez, continuing her run down the central channel, was perfectly positioned to finish the job and double the scoreline.
In the 52nd minute, a less welcome moment unfolded. Dudley collided hard with a Samford defender and was slow to get up. Nguyen also received attention from the trainer during the stoppage, and both perennial starters left the game. Even after losing two key players, FSU stayed in rhythm, connecting passes and keeping the tempo high. Their energy and consistency were much improved from the first half as they continued hunting for more goals.
They found what they were looking for in the 60th minute. Nyanya Touray collected the ball in midfield and swiftly sliced a pass through the defense to Suarez on the wing. With one perfect touch, Suarez slipped the ball to Hudson at the top of the box, and Hudson tapped it home.
FSU closed out the match with several players off the bench getting to show what they’re capable of. With three goals in hand, the pace calmed, but the subs continued pressing offensively. The final goal of the night came in the 78th minute when Marianyela Jiménez dropped a ball into the box after a quick endline run. A Samford defender tried to clear it, but instead bumped it directly to Lara Dantas. Dantas twisted into scoring position, took it off the bounce, and punched it home with a powerful touch. She made it look effortless, though it was anything but. It was her first goal of the season, which was especially gratifying after watching her work to find her groove after a long injury recovery last year.
Though the goals were done, one more special moment remained. During an otherwise quiet stretch in the 79th minute, the FSU bench suddenly erupted. Moments later, the crowd understood why: Claire Rain was headed to the fourth official to sub in. Rain has spent more than two years recovering from a serious knee injury suffered just 13 minutes into her FSU career. Many fans know her as the smiling, energetic presence on the sidelines through many highs and lows, but few have seen her play. Seeing her take the field again was joyous and earned one of the loudest cheers of the night.
Rain and the rest of the squad saw out the match with a clean sheet. Overall, FSU put together a strong second half and an encouraging start to the tournament. The team has struggled with intensity and consistency this season, so it was reassuring to see the game plan hold firm as substitutes rotated in. This group thrives when controlling possession and maintaining a high press, and they did both tonight. They shut down Samford’s attacks quickly and made smart positional adjustments in the second half that paid dividends.
Even if the Noles were still occasionally let down by the final touch, FSU sharpened their decision-making in the final third. A 4–0 scoreline is impressive regardless of the opponent, and Samford is a successful, skilled team. The difficulty will climb sharply in the next round, so it will be interesting to see if the progress can continue against their next opponent.
Heather Gilchrist and the entire backline stayed cool under pressure and avoided chaos in the box, our defense’s Achilles heel all season long. Taylor Suarez was a standout all night, delivering one of her most complete performances to date. The midfield overall looked more connected and confident, linking defense and attack with fluidity and flair.
Starting Dudley, Washington, and Hudson together for the first time shows that Pensky isn’t afraid to raise the stakes. When asked about the formation change, Pensky said, “I’ve been thinking about it for about a month… I know that as a coach, I would not want to coach against that.”
With the win, the Noles advance to the NCAA Second Round and will face the winner of Saturday’s matchup between No. 6-seeded Mississippi State and Lipscomb on Thursday, Nov. 20. Game time and location will be set at the conclusion of this weekend’s opening round.
