It was decision day across the ACC as women’s soccer programs wrapped up the regular season. For Florida State, the stakes were simple: win, and they were in. The Seminoles controlled their destiny and delivered,
clinching a postseason berth with an assertive, composed performance against Wake Forest.
Florida State lined up in a nearly identical formation as its previous match, with Wrianna Hudson swapped in up top, evidence that Coach Brian Pensky has found stability in his starting roster. Adding to the atmosphere, the Marching Chiefs filled the stands and played throughout the night, infusing the game with an electric feel.
The match opened under difficult circumstances. Wake Forest captain Dempsey Brown went down after an aerial collision in the second minute and had to be stretchered off following on-field medical attention. After a 12-minute delay, both teams refocused and restarted amid heavy emotion.
The opening ten minutes were choppy as the Seminoles worked to establish rhythm and tempo. They circulated the ball well but were hindered by unforced errors that allowed Wake Forest to gain spells of possession. The Demon Deacons earned the first corner in the fifth minute, but keeper Kate Ockene rose confidently to claim the cross, neutralizing the early threat.
FSU responded in the ninth minute with a sharp, opportunistic play. After Wake keeper Valentine Amaral intercepted a cross from Sophia Nguyen, she attempted to play short out of the back—but Taylor Suarez was lurking. The speedy Suarez intercepted the pass, beat her defender to the ball, and drew a foul just outside the penalty area. On the ensuing indirect kick, Suarez blasted the ball into the top corner. Heather Gilchrist created the opening by aligning with the Deacon wall and ducking at the precise moment, allowing the ball to sail cleanly over. The ball went untouched into the back of the net, and the Noles took control.
The Seminoles’ offensive momentum grew as Kameron Simmonds and Jordynn Dudley both forced Amaral into saves. The pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Dudley drove into the box, drawing contact from a defender’s elbow. No foul was called during the run of play, but after a video review, the referee awarded a penalty. Dudley stepped up and buried the shot in the top corner, leaving Amaral frozen as FSU doubled its lead.
Despite being down two, Wake Forest stayed organized and looked for counters. They nearly capitalized in the 32nd minute when Ockene miscleared a ball directly to forward Allie Flanagan, but the Seminole defense scrambled back to clear. A minute later, Flanagan again threatened 1v1, but Janet Okeke produced a daring but clean tackle inside the box to snuff out the danger. Florida State quickly reasserted control and created several more looks before halftime, the best coming in the 42nd minute when Solai Washington’s low cross flew across goal, took an unlucky hit off the post, and was collected by Amaral.
Wake Forest opened the second half on the front foot, pressing high and holding early possession. Florida State’s back line, however, held firm, conceding no shots during that spell. By the 50th minute, the Seminoles had regained command. Yuna McCormack whipped in a cross that Dudley met first time, narrowly sending her attempt wide. Three minutes later, Dudley delivered a moment of sheer brilliance. Receiving a long ball from Suarez, she drove into the box, was forced wide by a defender, then spun and unleashed a laser into the narrowest of top-corner windows. The sound of the ball hitting the net rang out before Amaral could even lift a glove. It was a world-class finish from one of the nation’s most dynamic forwards.
Down 3-0, Wake Forest refused to fold and found a lifeline in the 55th minute. Brooke Miller sent a long ball into the box. The ball arched over Heather Gilchrist, who got tangled up with Sophia Nguyen. The moment of confusion gave Wake Forest’s Sierra Sythe the chance to poke it towards goal. Kate Ockene couldn’t get a hand on it, and the ball awkwardly bounced to the back of the net.
After the moment of chaos that led to the goal, the Seminoles were able to settle back into an offensive groove. In the 61st minute, Nguyen sent a dangerous ball into the box that sparked a wild scramble. Washington’s shot deflected off Amaral, and a flurry of attempts from Enasia Colon, Wrianna Hudson, and others followed. Amaral produced three saves in the sequence, but when the ball finally rolled loose, McCormack muscled it over the line to restore Florida State’s three-goal cushion. The relentless attack epitomized the Seminoles’ pressing style—direct, determined, and impossible to contain.
From there, Florida State controlled the tempo and managed the match with maturity. Wake Forest created one more shot in the second half, while the Seminoles added four more of their own. As the game wound down, Pensky rotated his lineup, resting key starters like Suarez, Dudley, and Hudson while rewarding younger players with valuable minutes.
When the final whistle blew, it was a complete and convincing victory and exactly what Florida State needed to close the regular season. The Noles’ performance wasn’t flawless, but their ability to adapt, press, and respond to pressure highlighted their evolution. They finished with 19 total shots, 16 of which were on target, a huge improvement from earlier games this season. The variety in their scoring methods was also notable: a set piece, a penalty, a world-class individual strike, and a scrappy team goal.
Defensively, there’s still room for improvement, particularly in dealing with aerial balls in their own box. Pensky acknowledged as much after the match: “We have to be a little more patient,” he said. “I love that we want to be aggressive and go win the ball, but we need to find the moments when it’s time to be patient.”
Even so, the momentum surrounding this team is palpable. Coming off a statement win against Virginia the week prior, Florida State looks like a side that knows who it is: an offensively aggressive, high-pressing unit that feeds off energy and chemistry.
“This team loves each other,” Pensky said postgame. “The energy in the group is really good right now, and that matters a lot.”
The Seminoles enter the postseason with confidence, cohesion, and renewed belief in their game. On a night filled with emotion and pressure, they proved not only that they belong in the ACC Tournament, but that they may be peaking at exactly the right time.
With the victory, the Seminoles earned a spot in the six-team ACC Championship, a feat they have achieved in all 31 years of the program’s history. Fourth-seeded FSU will host No. 5 seed Virginia on Sunday, November 2, at 8 p.m. ET, at the Seminole Soccer Complex
