Jaguar Soccer Fell to #2 Florida State 5-0 on Friday in first round of NCAA Tournament Play
The University of South Alabama soccer team fell to #2 Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, 5-0.
The Jags started off strong by holding the Seminoles scoreless through the first 44 minutes of the match, but a goal with 0:38 remaining in the opening half gave them momentum which they seized and never looked back.
FSU got goals from five different players while goalkeeper Cassie Miller was forced into making only one save as the Seminoles outshot the Jaguars 23-2 and also came out on top in the corner count 11-0.
FSU’s first goal came on a header after an in-swinger from the byline just before halftime. Then in the second half the floodgates opened as they found the back of the net four more times. The first coming seven minutes into the half on a header. Eleven minutes later they added another.
The next goal game in the 73rd minute on another header with the final goal coming six minutes later.
“First of all, I want to congratulate Florida State,” said South Alabama head coach Graham Winkworth. “I think they’re one of the, if not the most well-coached and organized teams in the country, with potentially the most talent in the country as well. So congratulations to Coach (Mark) Krikorian and all the girls and staff, because they are a phenomenal squad. But I could not be more proud of my team. I know the scoreboard is the same as last year, we were kind of hoping the NCAA might send us in a different direction this year, but we were back here. I know the scoreboard says the same thing as last year, but I think the game was a little different and I think at halftime Coach (Krikorian) would admit that he was in a game, and it was a game. For 44 ½ minutes, we held them, maybe the best team in the country, so I could not be more proud of the team.”
“We changed our system,” Winkworth continued. “Last year, we came here playing our regular formation and there were too many holes, they ripped us apart with the quality of passing they’ve got. This year, we adjusted. We played a little bit more defensively-minded, or a lot more defensively-minded, and defended like heroes for the first 44 minutes.”
“I could not be more proud,” Winkworth added. “I thought that the girls fought like warriors and were fantastic. You know, the second half we were getting a little bit tired, and watched a lot of passes go around us. But to be fair, it was a different game to last year. We will have plenty of opportunities to play against quality teams like Florida State again in the future, because I know we hope to schedule them in our regular season down the road. That shows that Coach (Krikorian) has got a lot of respect for our team, because he wouldn’t want to schedule us if we wouldn’t help his team as well.”
The Jaguars finish the 2014 season with a 19-3-1 record with the Sun Belt Conference regular season title after going 8-0-1 and also claiming the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title for the second-consecutive season. The loss on Friday snapped the Jaguars 18-game unbeaten streak that dated back all the way to August 31.
What an amazing season! JagNation cannot wait to see you back in action next season.
Also, thank you to the Seniors: Emi Passini and Shawn Meach. You will always be part of the JagNation family and thank you for what you have done for South Alabama and we wish you the best of luck in the future!
Go Jags!