Women’s College Cup: Stanford’s NCAA title dreams dashed by Florida State

A matchup of the top-ranked offense against the top-ranked defense was no contest as Florida State defeated Stanford 5-1 in the NCAA women’s soccer championship game Monday in Cary, N.C.

Florida State repeatedly ran past Stanford’s back line as a Cardinal team that had only allowed 10 goals all season before Monday gave up five goals in a game for the first time since a second-round loss to BYU in 2000.

“We just got caught in transition a little bit and they were so fast and all credit to them,” sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Campbell said. “They just came out quick and capitalized on every opportunity.”

Campbell led the nation with a 0.38 goals-against average and Stanford (20-1-4) hadn’t allowed more than one goal in a game all season. But Florida State scored twice in 26 seconds midway through the first half.

Freshman Jordynn Dudley started it in the 29th minute when she was tripped by Stanford’s Mia Bhuta in the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick. Just 26 seconds later, Jamaican international Jody Brown got behind the defense and scored off the crossbar to make it 2-0.

“They have a front five with great individual flair,” Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “They’re athletic, they’re technically good, and they have the goalscoring mentality. I think it didn’t help obviously that we conceded a penalty early and that broke the ice for them and built their confidence.”

FSU was the first team since 2015 to not allow a goal in the first five rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Still, the Cardinal did get one back six minutes into the second half when graduate midfielder Maya Doms dribbled across the box and shot into the upper corner for her sixth goal in the last eight games.

But any hope for Stanford was short-lived.

FSU scored in the 58th minute when Beata Olsson raced past Kennedy Wesley and scored, and Brown added her second goal in the 61st minute. The Seminoles closed the scoring in the 85th minute to reach five goals for the third time in the NCAA Tournament and finish with a nation’s best 75 goals.

“That’s always the problem when you haven’t lost the game,” Ratcliffe said. “You wonder how your team is going to react when they’re losing because we haven’t lost all year. I think it was hard for them but they kept trying and kept pushing but the quality of Florida State’s attacking players was just too much.”

It was the most goals scored in a championship match since North Carolina beat Connecticut 6-0 in 2003. Doms’s goal was Stanford’s only shot on goal, and the Cardinal was outshot 16-5.

It was the fourth national title in 10 seasons for the Seminoles (22-0-1), who became the first undefeated champion since 2011 when Stanford won its first title. The Cardinal added titles in 2017 and 2019.

Doms said the final game doesn’t take away from all that Stanford accomplished, including an undefeated record leading up to the title game.

“We didn’t even do that in 2019 when we won the whole thing, so that’s something to be proud of,” Doms said. “This team was special, and tonight we definitely weren’t expecting the score to be what it was, but I’m really proud of this team.”

Doms is entering the NWSL Draft, but Stanford started seven underclassmen Monday and is intent on making it back to the College Cup for the 11th time in 17 seasons next year.

“I’m a goalkeeper, obviously my goal is a shutout,” Campbell said. “Five goals is not something I’m happy about. It’s not something my coach or my teammates are happy about. But we will come out hungry next year. I know these girls are fighters and we’re going to make a statement from game one next August.”