No. 8 LSU’s soccer team had the first word, but it was No. 1 Florida State that left a lasting impression.
The Tigers, who scored first in Friday’s NCAA second-round match, saw their 2022 season come to a close after the Seminoles delivered four unanswered goals in a 4-1 victory at the Seminoles Soccer Complex.
“I am incredibly proud of our team for their efforts tonight,” LSU soccer coach Sian Hudson said. “We frustrated them earlier and it was a close game for 45 minutes. Unfortunately, we opened the second half a bit slow and gave them the lead and that’s not something you can do with a great program like Florida State.”
LSU (10-4-7), which suffered its first loss since Oct. 9, was appearing in its second straight NCAA Tournament in three years under Hudson. The Tigers were eliminated in the first-round last season at Memphis.
Defending national champion Florida State (15-2-3) outshot LSU 27-5 and Tiger goalkeeper Mollee Swift finished with four saves.
LSU took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when Angelina Thoreson delivered her team-high ninth assist. Senior Wasila Diwura-Soale ran onto her pass, a beautiful ball sent into the six-yard box and crashed the back post with a one-time shot into the bottom left corner past FSU keeper Cristina Roque.
Florida State tied the score at 1-1 in the 21st minute, a score that stood at halftime.
The Seminoles took control of the match with two goals in the 52nd and 54th minutes, the go-ahead goal coming from Jenna Nighswonger on a chip over Swift. They added a goal in the 79th minute on a goal from Amelia Horton.
“I think our team has shown all season long that we can battle through adversity,” Hudson said. “In my three years at LSU, we’ve taken steady steps forward and this year’s group showed tremendous consistency. We used a lot of players this season and had players stepping into new roles throughout the year. The seniors have had a tremendous career. Overall, it’s been a great team effort from start to finish and I’m proud of this group.”
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