COLLEGE TOWN, FL (WTXL) — Florida State controlled the match from start to finish, outshot Florida Atlantic 18-to-2, and won 3-0 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The defending national champion Florida State soccer team extended its perfect start to the season with a dominant 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic at the Seminole Soccer Complex.
Florida State controlled the match from the opening minutes. In the 11th minute, Tanner Strickland finished off a cross to give the Seminoles a 1-0 lead. The Seminoles carried that advantage into halftime before Ryder Ajeto found the back of the net in the 64th minute. An FAU own goal in the 83rd minute made it 3-0.
The Seminoles outshot Florida Atlantic 18-to-2 and held a 10-0 advantage on corner kicks.
Head coach Brian Pensky said the home crowd played a role in the performance.
"The energy from the touch line to our touch line over there on the bench was phenomenal and we felt it right and you feel it in some of those dull kind of slow moments right they really pick us up and certainly after you know good pressing moments or half chances or corner kicks things like that we feel the energy. It's nice to be at home. We wish we had more than seven home games this fall you know, but we enjoyed tonight and I look forward to being back in a couple weeks," Pensky said.
There was also a familiar face on the opposing sideline. FAU head coach Patrick Baker returned to Tallahassee after previously taking the Seminoles to their first College Cup in program history.
The early season has also been about bringing a new group together. Only 4 starters returned from last year's national championship team, with 16 newcomers joining the roster.
Goalkeeper Kate Ockene said the team is growing closer with each game.
"It's always awesome watching my team do amazing and like through every game. It's like we're yelling more and more and it's so cool to see us become more of a team every single game," Ockene said.
Now 3-0 on the season, the Seminoles head back on the road Sunday for an in-state rivalry matchup against Florida.
EARLIER:
Florida State women's soccer hosts Florida Atlantic Thursday at 7:00 pm.
Florida State women's soccer opens its home schedule Thursday against Florida Atlantic, looking to extend a 35-game regular-season non-conference unbeaten streak.
The third-ranked Seminoles enter the home opener 2-0 after starting the season on the road. FSU has yet to allow a goal, while 6 different players have already scored.
The Seminoles are doing it with a largely new roster. Only four of eleven starters return from last year's national championship team. FSU added sixteen newcomers after ten players from last year's squad signed professional contracts.
Head Coach Brian Pensky said the team has found its footing after the opening road trip.
"I think our team is in a much better place than we were a week ago in terms of just having settled in and having a weekend of games. Right, get a couple wins under our belt, right, still gonna be challenges for them, right, they're all our pleasure wondering who started this coming, how many minutes am I getting, all those anx'd things, but tomorrow night when we roll the ball out, the crowd is here and all those things, I think our kids will be flying," Pensky said.
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