Florida State soccer wrapped up its regular season slate with a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Virginia Tech on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Seminole Soccer Complex. Talk about a tough end! But hold up, because despite that deflating result, the Seminoles didn’t just back into a playoff spot; they locked up the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament, thanks to some chaos elsewhere in the league.
The Hokies Struck, The Noles Responded, But Missed Chances Haunt
The game started with Virginia Tech hitting FSU hard on an opportunistic counterattack, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Anna Weir, who was just electric, carried the ball from midfield, laid it off to Eliana Salama, and then got a chipped ball right back. She lobbed it perfectly over FSU’s keeper, Kate Ockene, and just like that, the Hokies were up early. FSU wasn’t sitting back, though. Wrianna Hudson had a header sail just over the bar, and Joelle Jung’s volley was saved, but somehow, despite an 11-4 shot advantage, the Noles were still down 1-0 at halftime. You just knew they needed to find that spark.
And boy, did they! The response out of the break was immediate. Barely a minute into the second half, Ryder Ajeto, with some absolute magic on the left wing, drove at her defender and beat her one-on-one. She played a beautiful ball to Joelle Jung, who tapped home the equalizer in the 47th minute. The place absolutely erupted! FSU stayed on the front foot, dominating much of the second half. Hudson popped up again with a massive chance in the 59th minute, controlling a ball out of the air, but her shot cruelly crashed off the crossbar. You could feel the frustration building.
Clinching Chaos: How The No. 4 Seed Fell To FSU
Even with FSU pushing, the Hokies were always a threat on the counter. There was a heart-stopping moment in the 72nd minute when Weir broke free and looked to be one-on-one with Ockene, but Janet Okeke, with an incredible effort, flew back into the play and blocked the shot, sending it out for a corner. What a save! But Virginia Tech’s counter-attacking threat finally paid off again in the 82nd minute. Eliana Salama broke forward, dribbled into the box, and her right-footed shot kissed off the post, past Ockene, and into the net. Just a brutal way to lose, 2-1.
Here’s the wild part: even with that tough loss, FSU’s ACC tournament fate was sealed by other games. While the Noles were battling, Duke and Virginia played to a draw, and Louisville fell to North Carolina. Those results, not the FSU-Virginia Tech game itself, are what locked FSU into that No. 4 seed. It wasn’t the way anyone wanted to clinch, but hey, a No. 4 seed is a No. 4 seed!
What’s Next: The ACC Tournament Kicks Off!
So, what’s next for the Seminoles after this regular season roller coaster? They’re heading straight into ACC tournament action, and they’re facing off against UVA. This will be the first time FSU and the Cavaliers meet this season, so it’s all new territory. The game is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m., right back at the Seminole Soccer Complex. You know the Noles will be looking for redemption and to show everyone why they deserve that No. 4 spot!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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