Florida State is back in the national championship game. And a very familiar opponent is in the way of the Seminoles’ fifth national title.
FSU and Stanford have faced off frequently, including an October win by the Cardinal in Tallahassee. And FSU defeated Stanford to win the 2023 national championship. It’s the fifth time that FSU and Stanford have played in a College Cup.
The Seminoles (15-2-4) are coming off a 1-0 win over TCU in a national semifinal on Friday night. It was FSU’s third shutout in five NCAA Tournament games.
Freshman Kate Ockene only had to make two saves, but one was a point-blank stop with seconds left against Horned Frogs.
“Our team loves Kate,” FSU coach Brian Pensky said. “She is a ball of energy. Big personality. Loves this game. Very good shot-stopper. … Kate is playing for us right now because she is a great shot-stopper. I think the first save for her was probably the first three minutes of the game. And then the last one was unfortunately with about two seconds left in the game. Big-time save.
“And that’s a big deal because she didn’t have to do a whole lot for the middle 85 minutes of the game. And that’s what the best goalkeepers have to do. Even when you don’t have to make saves throughout the course of the game. When your time or moment is called upon, you got to be able to make a play.”
Stanford (21-1-2) won the 2025 ACC regular-season and tournament championships and entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer polls.
FSU will play Stanford on Monday at 7 p.m. (ESPNU). Below are some notes from FSU sports information about the matchup:
Then-No. 7 Florida State suffered a 2-1 loss to then-No. 2 Stanford on Oct. 16 at the Seminole Soccer Complex. Playing the second of three top-three-ranked teams in a four-game span, FSU trailed 2-0 in the first half but got to within one with Dudley’s 84th-minute goal. However, despite facing extended offensive pressure in the final six minutes, the Cardinal prevented the tying goal to extend their win streak to six.
The loss snapped FSU’s 33-game home unbeaten streak, third-longest in team history.
FSU has a 17-3 scoring margin in its last seven games.
The Seminoles have advanced to the national championship game for the fifth time in their last six College Cups and seven of their last nine. That includes 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2023, when Florida State went on to win the national championship.
Junior forward Jordynn Dudley leads the team with 36 points, 14 assists and 84 shots and is second with 11 goals and 31 shots on goal. A National Player of the Year finalist and All-American, she had a point in 13 consecutive games with multiple points in four of the last five matches to conclude the regular season.
Sophomore forward Wrianna Hudson paces the team with 14 goals and 38 shots on goal and is second with 29 points and 57 shots.
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