Seminoles are unbeaten in last 29 matches

By Official Florida FC

Florida State’s women’s soccer team used second-half goals from Wrianna Hudson and Kameron Simmonds to win its seventh straight contest over Florida on Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.

The 3-0 win helped the Seminoles improve to 5-0-1 this season.

Midfielder Taylor Huff scored her sixth goal in six games to open the scoring.

“They are always a good group. They are well organized and they have a strategic plan,” Huff said. “It’s just about solving what they are trying to put in our face. Today, we had more space on the ball and I thought our defenders did such a great job with being patient.”

Florida operated in a 3-5-2 system from the start, which allowed Florida State’s Ran Iwai, Mimi Van Zanten and Ashlyn Puerta plenty of space in wide areas.

The Gators (2-1-3) tried to condense the space that Florida State could play through.

“We didn’t intend to play a five-back,” Florida head coach Samantha Bohon said. “It was, actually, supposed to be a three-back (system). The ball-side would step higher and the weak side would tuck back around to create a four-back (system). But, we were a little conservative. Maybe, (the first) 15 minutes we were trying to get them up, then we settled into how we were trying to play.”

The Seminoles found the keys to unlock a new system from their archnemesis. Hudson’s pressure on Florida’s goalkeeper forced the Gators into the turnover that created Huff’s goal in the 15th minute.

“Florida State is a great team,” Bohon said. “Anytime you play them, our goal is to continue to try and compete and get better from it. I think that game will, hopefully, help us for the SEC. We’re not happy with the loss.”

Florida State has to concede a goal to the Gators in head coach Brian Pensky’s three matches against the orange and blue.

“It means a lot to our fan base,” Pensky said afterward. “It means a lot to our players. And, obviously, they are an SEC team. They are a physical team and a competitive team. Getting a win is massive. It’s massive for our record, our season, our RPI, all of it.”

Despite being unbeaten in its last 29 matches, Florida State dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll that was released on Sept. 3.

Florida State leads the all-time series 17-13. In the 30-game series that dates back to 1995, both programs have scored 48 goals.