#1 Florida State vs. #2 UCLA Women's Soccer 2013 Tournament Final
#2 UCLA vs. #1 Florida State
UCLA had their backs against the wall in the final minutes of the second half against Virginia in the semifinal on Friday night but Ally Courtnall came to the rescue in the 85th minute to equalize the score by finishing off a thru ball. UCLA then held on to get the match into the penalty kick shootout and were able to advance 4-2. Katelyn Rowland came up huge for UCLA, making two key stops on Morgan Brian and Alexis Shaffer of Virginia to seal their trip to the Championship Final. The Bruins will take on Florida State, who advanced to the Final by beating Virginia Tech 3-2 thanks to two goals by Jamia Fields, including the game-winner in the 83rd minute in response to the Hokies equalizing the match just a few minutes earlier.
This should be an epic contrast in styles as UCLA is the best in the country at defending and limiting quality scoring chances and Florida State has the experience of being on the stage and the potential to be very explosive and efficient in their attack. In the Semifinal against Virginia Tech the Seminoles converted three goals on five shots on frame. It will be very important for the Seminoles to continue to attack efficiently against the Bruins as they will have limited scoring chances. Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Jamia Fields are going to need to come up big once again for Florida State to secure the first national championship in program history.
The keys for UCLA are to continue to be aggressive in generating scoring chances. Their aggressiveness against Virginia was a huge reason for their success in being able to get the equalizer and push the game to the penalty kick shootout. The Bruins have very capable scorers in Darian Jenkins, Taylor Smith, Sarah Killion, and Ally Courtnall, so they have the ability to score goals if they can create quality opportunities. The challenge is going to be having patience in trying to break down a very organized Seminoles back line as they are very experienced in the back and very rarely beat themselves. Also, I have a feeling the steady hand of Amanda Cromwell and her coaching staff is going to be huge in keeping this UCLA side composed and not intimidated by the national championship match stage. If the Bruins can continue to play relaxed and impose their will on Florida State, then I like their chances in getting a result. Finally, for Florida State it is very important to play their style and not get frustrated early if they don’t get a goal as patience will be a virtue in this match. Overall, this match has the feel of a 1-1 draw that goes to the dreaded penalty kick shootout to decide the 2013 National Champion in Women’s College Soccer.
See all Women’s Soccer Breakdowns
