FSU Soccer: ’Noles take down Syracuse at home

The ’Noles continue their win streak with a 5-0 victory over the Syracuse Orange.

They wore pink jerseys in the match to show support towards breast cancer awareness. The jerseys will be auctioned after after the game and the campaign has already collected over $60,000 in donations.

The ’Noles seemed to have a dead leg in the first 20 minutes, being able to penetrate the box but not get well read opportunities for a goal.

Offensive struggles ended in the 36th minute of the first half when freshman Amelia Horton was able to find the net after a skirmish with several players in the box. Horton earned her first goal of the season as she continues to pry her way into the lineup in such a star studded offense.

After a challenging first half on the offensive end the Seminoles blew up the scoreboard in the second half, leaving no room for the Orange to comeback. They pressed the baseline and started to get comfortable against the defense leading to 13 corner kicks and 21 shots on goal.

Redshirt senior Clara Robbins had yet another masterful performance, collecting her fifth goal of the season in the 52nd minute of the second half. Robbins had a beautiful crossover and split the defenders with a tight finish in the corner of the net after her and sophomore Jody Brown played a subtle game of hot potato in the opposing territory.

The fans and even some of the team members were very confused with the third score from the Seminoles, which came from an own goal by Syracuse after junior LeiLanni Nesbeth’s corner attempt was batted in the net with by a header from the Orange.

They attacked the box immediately after which led to senior Kirsten Pavlisko drilling her fourth goal of the season after Jody Brown placed a perfect ball. That is now the third time this season where a goal was scored in a three minute span of the previous one.

Freshman Maria Alagoa put the final nail in the coffin when she scored a solo goal in the closing minutes of the ball game. She took possession at half field and roamed past multiple defenders, setting up yet another fantastic goal to add to her highlight reel.

Offside penalties were a huge issue for Florida State who ultimately picked up seven on the night and ended up scoring on four of those plays. While they dealt with that issue, they yet again had the leg up on shot attempts and corners, pulling away with 21 shots on goal to the Orange’s one and 13 corner kicks to the Orange’s zero.

Syracuse ended the evening with just one shot attempt, having possession for just 27% of the ball game. The ’Noles earn their sixth shutout of the season while starting goalkeeper Mia Justus racks in her fourth.

Although the Orange’s offense was somewhat nonexistent, their defensive play gave the Seminoles struggles all night long. As much as it doesn’t seem like a tough matchup through the box score, the Syracuse goalkeeper was one of the best they’ve faced this season. Graduate student Lysianne Proulx capped the evening with four saves as it looked like she was leading the defense as well as the offensive attack.

There has now been 17 players who have found the net this season, setting up a program record for most players with a goal.

The Seminoles have a quick turnaround this week, set to face the Miami Hurricanes who have had ups and downs all season, notching a 4-7 overall record and 1-4 conference record.