No. 10 FSU soccer easily handles Notre Dame

(10) Florida State (9-2-1, 2-2 ACC) defeated Notre Dame (5-6, 1-2 ACC) by a 4-0 score this evening in South Bend, IN.

Game Recap

FSU got off to a hot start in this game. In the third minute Natalia Kuikka and Deyna Castellanos executed a nice give and go. Kuikka ended up using a toe poke that Notre Dame keeper Mattie Interian was just able to push over the touchline to give the Noles a corner kick.

In the eleventh minute Castellanos drove the ball into the ND defense and ripped a shot from about 25 feet that ricocheted off the crossbar.

In the 13th minute Yujie Zhao drove the ball toward the touchline. She crossed the ball across the face of the goal and Kaycie Tillman beat defender Camryn Dyke to the ball and Tillman was able to slip a shot past Interian for Florida State’s first goal.

In the 24th minute Anna Patten tracked a ball down and crossed it into the 18 yard box. Jenna Winebrenner tried to head it out but the clearance didn’t go far enough. Castellanos retrieved the ball just outside the 18 yard box and one timed a left footed blast into the back of the net. Castellanos is capable of some crazy goals and she proved it once again with this one.

In the 42nd minute Megan Connolly found a trailing Jaelin Howell. Howell fired a shot from about 17 yards out that hit the bottom of the crossbar and looked like it bounced down across the goal line. However the refs didn’t give the Noles the goal. Unfortunately there isn’t goal line technology in college soccer. It seems that FSU now has its own Frank Lampard moment.

In the 65th minute Kristen McFarland put the Noles up 3-0. Deyna Castellanos received the ball off of a header. She executed a nifty backheel flick toward the goal. Irish defender Jenna Winebrenner headed the ball back to the keeper but McFarland was able to beat Mattie Interian to the ball and toe poked it into the goal. McFarland ran into Interian on the play and Interian stayed down. Interian left the game with an injury and was replaced by junior Brooke Littman.

In the 85th minute FSU earned a corner. Megan Connolly sent a gorgeous ball into the six yard box. Anna Patten got a head on it but the ND defense blocked her header. The ball pinged around in the box a bit before the Irish defense cleared it.

In the 86th minute Kaycie Tillman received the ball just outside the 18 yard box. She slid the ball over to Connolly who had plenty of space to line up her shot. She was able to blast the ball past Littman for FSU’s fourth goal of the evening.

Post Game

Florida State had 17 shots (nine on goal) while Notre Dame had four shots with only one on goal. Brooke Bollinger only had to make one save while FSU forced Mattie Interian into five saves.

Possession isn’t an official stat in college soccer but the Seminoles dominated possession in this game. The Noles must have had 70%-80% of the possession in this game. The Irish are rebuilding as they are a young team with a coach who is in his first year in South Bend. The Noles took advantage all afternoon.

There really isn’t much negative to take away from this game from a Seminole perspective. FSU was faced with a struggling opponent and the Noles took care of business like a good team should.

Next Game

On October 4th, FSU will welcome Clemson to the Seminole Soccer Complex. The game will kick off at 7pm and will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.