NC State women’s soccer dropped its final match of its 2023 season when it visited No. 1 Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. The top-ranked Seminoles crushed the Wolfpack 5-0 to finish off its disappointing 2023 campaign.
Despite the Pack’s (3-9-6, 2-5-3 ACC) success in holding the Seminoles scoreless for a majority of the first half and heading to the break only down 1-0, Florida State (14-0-1, 9-0-1 ACC) piled it on in the final 45 minutes. Junior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas recorded six saves, but the Noles’ second-half onslaught was too much for Pratapas and company to handle.
In spite of the dismal final result, NC State had a promising start to the contest. On top of keeping a Florida State team off the board, the Wolfpack had some promising chances to take the lead in Tallahassee in the first half.
Freshman forward Jade Bordeleau rocketed a dangerous shot on goal in the 30th minute after a corner kick rebound made by junior midfielder Annika Wohner. Bordeleau’s shot was inches off the mark, loudly careening off the bar to nearly give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Instead, the Seminoles took the lead just 13 minutes later. Defender Lauren Flynn scored the first goal of her hat trick on an unassisted goal to earn the advantage. Despite giving up the goal, a 1-0 deficit to the undisputed best team in the nation was a bearable result for NC State heading into the break.
However, it didn’t last long — the Seminoles mercilessly ran up the score come the second half. The onslaught began with Flynn’s second score of the night — just her third of the season — on another unassisted goal in the 49th minute.
Florida State scored twice more in the next five minutes, tallying one in the 50th minute and in the 54th minute — the third and final score of Flynn’s career night. Florida State put one more past Pratapas in the 68th minute to finish off the dominating 5-0 win.
While multiple Wolfpack attackers recorded shots on goal, NC State’s offensive efforts were rendered moot once the Noles stepped on the gas. The red-and-white only tallied one shot in the second half, putting its total on the night at five compared to Florida State’s 26. The Noles also earned 11 corner kicks to the Pack’s one, giving no chance for the visitors to get into the game.
The loss marks the end of NC State’s 2023 season, and the end of the collegiate careers of multiple NC State players such senior forwards Jameese Joseph, Alexis Strickland and Leyah Hall-Robinson.
The Wolfpack will retake the field in 2024 with hopes for a more successful season with a young, talented squad supplemented by an impressive recruiting class.
