FSU Soccer looks to extend NCAA Tournament run this weekend

After winning their tournament opener last weekend, FSU soccer seeks to win two games at home this weekend and head back to the Round of 8.

For the FSU Soccer team, it has been quite the finish to the end of the 2018 season. After finishing seventh in the ACC standings after the regular season, the Lady Noles have went on a tear that included beating Duke, Virginia and North Carolina in route to another conference tournament championship earlier this month.

Of course, the win or go home mantra kicked up a notch last weekend when the NCAA Tournament got underway with the Lady Noles as one of the top seeds in the field looking to make their 10th appearance in the College Cup in this, their 19th overall appearance in the tournament.

More from Chop Chat

• FSU football: 3 reasons Noles beat Clemson, two reasons they lose
• FSU football: QB Brock Glenn out with an injury for ‘a few weeks’
• FSU football: Which TV announcers will call Clemson game?
• FSU football: Is Jared Verse ready to make an impact versus Clemson?
• FSU football: Impact players versus the Clemson Tigers

Let us take a moment to look at how the tournament opened for FSU soccer and what is ahead of them in the coming days.

First Round Recap

As one of the four overall top seeds, FSU soccer assures themselves that they will be enjoying the home cooking of Tallahassee until the College Cup should they stay in the tournament. Of course, the Lady Noles had never lost in the first round in any of their previous 18 tournament appearances – and No. 19 wouldn’t end that way either.

With that, Loyola of Chicago did give the Lady Noles all they could handle with a scoreless first half – but Anna Patten’s goal in the 52nd minute was all that was needed as FSU soccer got the 1-0 victory to advance. The game was helped by the Ramblers having exactly one shot on goal the whole game.

A Look Ahead

The Lady Noles will open the second round party on Friday at 5 p.m. when they take on the USF Bulls. All time, Florida State has an 8-0-1 record against the Bulls with their last meeting coming in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

In their opener last weekend, the Lady Bulls got four goals before Albany got on the board. USF would add a late goal and coast to the 5-1 victory to advance to the second round and a meeting with FSU soccer.

If FSU Soccer wins

The Lady Noles would stay home two days later and host the winner of the game between the USC Trojans and the LSU Tigers, which would take place Sunday at 1 p.m. inside the Seminoles Soccer Complex.

FSU soccer would make it to their 16th Round of 16 game in 19 tournament appearance with an opening win. All time, Florida State has a 3-2-1 record against the Trojans that includes a loss in the 2007 title game and a tie earlier this season. Against LSU, the Lady Noles have a 2-1-1 record with their last meeting being a win for FSU soccer in the 2007 NCAA tournament.