The Florida State soccer team has been a perennial powerhouse in the world of women’s collegiate soccer in recent years, having won a national championship in 2023. Even though it is recent, the national championship team from 2023 seems like a while ago in the rear-view mirror.

Last year the Seminoles finished with a 15-2-4 overall record and were among the top teams in the nation heading into the NCAA tournament. In a shocking turn of events, FSU was eliminated in the second round in penalty kicks by Vanderbilt at home in front of a stunned crowd. The Seminoles had a lot to think about this offseason. And the way the 2024 season played out left the team to ponder how 2025 would be shaped through roster retention and the transfer portal.

FSU dipped into the portal a little bit but not in an overwhelming fashion with only three new players, two of which are from ACC schools. The Seminoles also welcome nine freshmen to the 2025 team and is considered the best recruiting class in the Brian Pensky era.

The Seminoles return 15 players from last year’s team, including All-ACC forward Jordynn Dudley. The supporting cast of sophomores that should take a giant step forward this year in production are midfielders Lara Dantas and Solai Washington, to go along with forward Wrianna Hudson. All three saw significant action last year and should be an integral part of FSU’s success on the soccer field.

FSU’s starting goalkeeper, redshirt sophomore Addie Todd, is also back. Upperclassmen Giana Riley, Marianyela Jiménez, Sophia Nguyen, Mimi Van Zanten, Kameron Simmonds and Heather Gilchrist return.

The Seminoles open their season with an exhibition match against Alabama on Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Seminole Soccer Complex. FSU opens the regular season against Florida on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.

The status of redshirt senior defender Claire Rain is positive going forward for the season as she is running and cutting during agility drills. The timetable for her return is to be determined at the moment.

“She is progressing well,” Pensky said. “I said to her that she’s still weeks away, which she is obviously sad about. There are no rules about when you’re told that this is over. If that bleeds into a sixth, seventh year, we’ll have those conversations then so she’s in a good spot.”

After going down with a leg injury in the first game of the 2023 season which caused Rain to miss the entire year and all of 2024, her career seemed in doubt. With her rehab still ongoing, anything the redshirt senior can give to the team this season would be remarkable given the severity of her injury.

FSU will have to replace arguably its best player for the past two years with All-American Taylor Huff graduating (she has signed with Bay FC of the NWSL). And the Seminoles also lost freshman phenom Ashlyn Puerta when the talented midfielder signed a contract with the USL Super League side Sporting Club Jacksonville.

The transfer portal is crucial in the modern day of collegiate athletics and women’s soccer is no different. Pensky landed sophomore defender Janet Okeke from North Carolina State, junior midfielder Yuna McCormack from Virginia and senior midfielder Enasia Colon from Arizona State. McCormack and Okeke are familiar to Pensky having played for ACC schools before deciding to move to Tallahassee.

“Both of them were late transfers in the fall window,” Pensky said. “They reached out literally two days or so before the portal closed. She (Yuna) entered the portal right then and said, ‘I want to make a change, but I’m also thinking about going pro.’ She was offered a professional contract and so we said, ‘Alright if you want to come here, we’ll take you fully, knowing that you may not be here in August.’ We took a chance and she’s fallen in love with this place and wants to be here.”

Okeke has had a previous relationship with the coaching staff dating all the way back to her high school playing days.

“Bobby Shuttlesworth, my associate head coach, was turned on to her in high school and we wound up really not making a push for her in high school,” Pensky said. “She finished her freshman year at NC State and there was a coaching change in early November, and she started having thoughts and we knew that we needed another center back. The reason we went to a three back last year was because we decided to play three center backs because we didn’t feel like we had two that really could do the job. We needed another center back next to Heather Gilchrist and she’s an experienced player. She’s a great athlete, phenomenal young woman, very intelligent and a great addition in so many ways to our team.”

Pensky also brought in the No. 1 recruiting class according to Top Drawer Soccer. Freshmen goalkeeper Evan O’Steen, forward Jaida McGrew, defender Kai Price, forward Nyanya Touray, defender Mya Brandon, goalkeeper Kate Ockene, midfielder Nawreen Ahmad, forward Ashlyn Anderson and midfielder Omara Junaid all will look to become household names in the eyes of Seminole fans.

The schedule won’t be a cakewalk. The non-conference home matches features Florida, Florida International and Stetson, while the Seminoles hit the road to play Florida Atlantic and Kansas.

The ACC schedule includes home matches against Louisville, Miami, Stanford, California and Wake Forest. FSU’s ACC road schedule is where things could get difficult as the team travels to powerhouse North Carolina while also traveling to Syracuse, North Carolina State, Notre Dame and Virginia.

Despite losing some key pieces from last year’s team, Pensky has retooled and reloaded the roster for the 2025 campaign in hopes of making a national championship run. Judging by the roster and what Florida State has coming back, it’s safe to say that this team has the talent and experience to compete for an ACC title and national championship.

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