After a shocking win at home last week against Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 8th seed Texas A&M found itself facing a familiar foe in the No. 1 team in the nation Florida State, whom it lost to 2-1, in its season opener at Ellis Field.
This time the Aggies held the Seminoles to only one goal but still ended up losing 1-0, ultimately dropping out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round and ending their 2023 season.
FSU started off with a consistent attack, but the Maroon and White’s defense responded with several crucial stops. They ultimately halted the high-powered Seminole offense which averaged over three goals a game, to only three shots in the first half.
The Fightin’ Farmers responded offensively with their infamous counterattacks, resulting in four shots, with two on goal.
One of those opportunities was an all too familiar sight for Aggie fans.
In the 23rd minute, a shot by junior forward Mia Pante reflected off the crossbar after she headed a cross from freshman forward Taylor Jernigan.
Florida State broke the scoring seal in the 55th minute of the game and proved it is truly a second-half team.
After a huge cross, freshman forward Jordynn Dudley received a header just past midfield from Sweden native senior forward Beata Olsson, then Dudley juggled the ball around A&M defenders and forced her way past fifth-year goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell to put the Seminoles on the board, 1-0.
OH. MY. GOSH. JORDYNN DUDLEY‼️‼️‼️‼️#OneTribe pic.twitter.com/Gfaf6evbsJ
— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) November 17, 2023
Florida State dominated possession of the ball in the second half and forced Caldwell into several dangerous situations where she accounted for two more saves in the half, bringing her total to three on the night.
In the final minutes of the game, Dudley received her first yellow card of the night after she shielded the ball from freshman defender Margo Matula, fouling her on the contact.
After the foul, Caldwell played the ball downfield to attempt a last-minute equalizing attempt but in the end, it was for nothing as time expired in the game and on A&M soccer’s season.
With the loss, the Aggies drop out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round and end their season with a 10-8-4 record finish.
Meanwhile, Florida State advances to the Sweet 16 to play against No. 5 Texas on Sunday, Nov. 19, with high hopes to continue its unbeaten streak so far in the season.
