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CARY, NC — For the first time in history, two teams without a single loss across the entire season will meet for the NCAA women’s soccer championship as top-ranked Florida State take on No. 3 Stanford in the 2023 College Cup final from WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.
Both these teams have proven themselves national title contenders not just this season but for a number of years, as each side has lifted this very trophy within the last four seasons. FSU triumphed two years ago while Stanford won back in 2019, both times via a penalty shootout after scoreless draws.
The matchup here presents a mouth-watering clash between the nation’s best offense in Florida State against the country’s stingiest back line in Stanford. FSU ranks first in NCAA DI in goals per game, while the Cardinal lead the country in goals against average as both teams sport national standouts in those respective units.
The Sporting News is live on-site in Cary, NC following the Florida State versus Stanford match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
2023 NCAA women’s soccer championship live score
| Score (HT) | Goal scorers | |
| #1 FSU | 2 | Dudley (29′), Brown (30′) |
| #3 Stanford | 0 | – |
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Location: WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, NC)
Referee: Meghan Mullen
2023 NCAA women’s soccer championship live updates, highlights, commentary
HALFTIME: FSU 2-0 Stanford
At the break, the difference in this match simply comes down to volume. Stanford largely defended well throughout the 45 minutes, but with FSU creating the amount of attacking moves forward, they were bound to find something. They did, as Jordynn Dudley’s penalty in the 29th minute broke the scoreless deadlock, while Jody Brown doubled the lead just a minute later.
Stanford have to find ways to get the ball through midfield, where they are being completely overrun. When they do manage to get forward, the Cardinal look dangerous, but their attackers are feeding on scraps at the moment. Unless something changes, this is heading towards a third FSU national title in the last five years.
FOOT. ON. THE. GAS.#OneTribe | @TruistNews pic.twitter.com/vjMkOVA7Gs
— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) December 4, 2023
FSU vs Stanford: First Half
44th min: FSU have a dangerous free-kick from about 25 yards out as Taylor Huff is hacked after a wonderful ball from Leillana Nesbeth played her in, but the delivery is smacked into the wall. Stanford haven’t had a sniff of the attacking half in the last 10 minutes, and will be desperate for halftime.
41st min: Ryan Campbell is called upon again as Kaitlyn Zipay is played in on goal for FSU, but her tight-angle shot is smothered by the Stanford goalkeeper out for a corner. The set-piece is cleared by Stanford, albeit awkwardly as the ball pinged around the penalty area for some time before eventually being lumped away.
38th min: As both teams make wholesale substitutions with halftime approaching, FSU have Stanford completely pinned back. They’re pouring on the pressure, and while it hasn’t resulted in many good chances since the pair of quickfire goals, it’s keeping the Cardinal absolutely hemmed in.
There’s a real problem for Lumi Kostmayer, who has just entered for Stanford off the bench, as she limps off the field with a left foot issue. Maryn Wolf comes in to replace her, as the sophomore from Connecticut heads straight down the tunnel hopping on one leg.
34th min: FSU makes a triple substitution up front, as Jordynn Dudley, Jody Brown, and Beata Olsson are all brought off. Maria Alagoa, Kaitlyn Zipay, and Leah Pais enter, probably to finish out the half at the very least.
30th min: GOAL! FLORIDA STATE! IT’S TWO IN TWO MINUTES FOR THE SEMINOLES! Onyi Echegini pings an utterly brilliant ball over the defensive line and right into Jody Brown’s lap, seeing her free on goal! The Jamaican international takes a wonderful first touch to settle the delivery and blasts the chance in off the top of the crossbar! The Seminoles are suddenly flying!
AGAIN!!!!!! FLORIDA STATE.
📺 ESPNU#WCollegeCup x @FSUSoccer pic.twitter.com/ffaj66Xt8v
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 4, 2023
28th min: PENALTY, FLORIDA STATE! The referee points to the spot for a foul on Mia Bhuta who chops an FSU forward inside the top of the box! It comes on a wonderful cross from Beata Olsson, whose free down the right flank.
Jordynn Dudley steps up to take, and…GOAL! FLORIDA STATE! She buries the spot-kick into the top-right corner, and the goalkeeper has no chance! Ryan Campbell is fooled, and rooted to the spot, forced to watch helplessly as the Seminoles take the lead!
WHO ELSE BUT JORDYNN DUDLEY?!!
📺 ESPNU#WCollegeCup x @FSUSoccer pic.twitter.com/t7MMYDXAnO
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 4, 2023
25th min: Now it’s Jordynn Dudley who gets a talking to from the official. Florida State attackers are getting a little over-aggressive as they press Stanford on the ball, and it’s caused the foul count to rack up. They’ve been whistled for five fouls to Stanford’s one, including three in the last four minutes.
22nd min: FSU fans are up in arms after a foul called on Jody Brown in midfield, but it’s the correct decision as she cuts down a Stanford midfielder trying to progress the ball laterally. The official has to stop proceedings to have a discussion with Brown, who’s also upset with the call.
Jasmine Aikey then has a go from the top of the penalty area, but facing the sideline, her turn and fire is extremely difficult, and she can’t stay on top of the ball as she contorts her body, blasting it high over the crossbar.
20th min: Chance, Floriad State! BEATA OLSSON HITS THE POST! She’s unmarked at the far post and gets a cross from Onyi Echegini, but her highly difficult volley attempt pings the woodwork! That’s a massive chance, but Stanford survive!
20′ | Beata gets a great look but it goes off the post.
Still locked at 0#OneTribe pic.twitter.com/2mfB5cWo8J
— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) December 4, 2023
18th min: Stanford are once again struggling to get out of their own half. They make one foray into the attacking half, but a cross from the right is cut out and starts an FSU break the other way, which is only stopped by Ryan Campbell coming off her line to collect a ball from deep. Florida State remain the more dangerous side up front thus far.
13th min: FSU is turning the pressure back on. A big switch to Ran Iwai wins FSU’s third corner of the match, but Taylor Huff’s delivery is into the waiting arms of Ryan Campbell. This is a very high-quality match so far in all phases. Quality met by quality, very few mistakes on either end.
11th min: Jody Brown wins a foul in a very dangerous position just outside the top-right corner of the penalty area. It’ll be Ran Iwai to take the outswinger, but Stanford goalkeeper Ryan Campbell comes out strong to punch, and is fouled by an FSU attacker in the process.
9th min: FSU have their first corner, won by Onyi Echegini who absolutely shreds her defender on the FSU left wing. It’s cleared at the near post, out for another go. It’s a much better delivery the second time around, but Stanford still get the ball clear at the top of the six-yard box to protect the far post.
6th min: Chance, Stanford! The first corner of the match comes to Stanford, and the referee plays advantage on a foul out wide which allows them to find Jasmine Aikey for a tight-angle shot. She rips it just inches over the crossbar, what a hit! That’s not far off at all! That’s much from Stanford, who are now building themselves into this game after weathering the early storm.
5th min: Stanford break for the first time, but it’s cut down by an exceptional tackle from their No. 6 Ran Iwai, who steps in and picks the pocket of Jasmine Aikey in transition. A wonderful one-on-one challenge.
3rd min: Florida State is controlling the early attacking possession, with the opening stages of this match being played almost entirely in the Stanford half. The Pac-12 side will have to keep FSU from building significant pressure if they are to keep the Seminoles from turning this into a track meet.
Kickoff: We’re under way in Cary, NC! In the next three hours, a national champion will be crowned! Stanford are wearing black with red accent, while Florida State are in their white kits with their red numerals and gold trim. A high-quality color matchup.
Today’s referee, Meghan Mullen, was an assistant referee who officiated MLS games in 2021 and 2022 before deciding to make the switch to a head official, which means you have to work your way back up the ladder. This is a big moment for her as she makes her way towards her officiating goals!
Here we go!@FSUSoccer vs. @StanfordWSoccer ⚽️🏆 pic.twitter.com/U8BxPbIFyg
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) December 4, 2023
FSU vs Stanford: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more
15 mins to kickoff: Today’s venue, WakeMed Soccer Park, is one of the hidden gems of soccer in the United States. It’s hosted five of the last six women’s soccer NCAA tournaments, and was the site of multiple recent men’s championships as well, including last year when Syracuse beat Indiana on a penalty shootout.
It has hosted USMNT matches in the past, and while those days are long gone, it’s still the consistent site of big events, including The Soccer Tournament which debuted last year and received massive national and international attention.
It’s a slightly chilly night, as the low is expected to get down under 40 degrees, but we were up near 70 as today’s high, so kickoff will be somewhere between those two marks. It’s quite a nice night for a champion to be crowned!
It all comes down to this. 🏆#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/zN4n4iUumO
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 4, 2023
30 mins to kickoff: Lineups are in, and there are no changes for either side from their respective semifinal victories.
One thing to watch is the Florida State defensive unit. While Stanford’s back line gets the most attention as they lead the nation in goals against average, FSU has not conceded a single goal across the entirety of the NCAA tournament, a full five matches without allowing a score.
The last time the FSU defense conceded was in the 29th minute of the ACC final victory over Clemson, 511 minutes ago. That’s the only goal they’ve conceded since the 3-2 win over Pitt in mid-October, meaning they’ve conceded a single goal across nine matches — that game was also the last time they trailed at any point. What a record!
45 mins to kickoff: One of the biggest reasons the USWNT has seen the rest of the world catch up to the elites in terms of talent is the exporting of fringe talent from the U.S. to other nations. This past 2023 Women’s World Cup featured the largest number of U.S.-based players serving international duty for other nations in history — the talent pool is getting better from the bottom up, and it’s showing.
That’s on full display here — Florida State’s leading scorer, Onyi Echegini, and fellow forward Jody Brown, both played for national teams at the World Cup this past summer. Echegini, born in London, was part of the Nigeria national team which surprised many by reaching the Round of 16, playing in all four matches including one start. Brown, meanwhile, has 18 caps and 12 goals for Jamaica, and started all four games as they too reached the knockout stage. Brown is just 21 years old, and is five — yes FIVE — years removed from winning Best Young Player in the 2019 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, eventually becoming the youngest player to see the field at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Those two players got back from international duty three days before Florida State’s season began. Talk about hitting the ground running!
🇯🇲 Jody Brown was the youngest player to see action at France 2019
It’s no surprise, then, that the 17-year-old is dazzling at the #U20WWC qualifiers
Brown has scored 8 goals in 4 games, including 4 today to cruise Jamaica into the quarter-finals 🤩pic.twitter.com/simEEYjkxr
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) February 29, 2020
1 hour to kickoff: This game, incredibly, is the first time in the history of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament in which two undefeated teams reached the final. They are unquestionably the two best teams in the country this season, full stop. Defending champions UCLA, who were a one-seed in their own right, were bounced in the first round in a shocking upset to UC Irvine.
This is also the last year Stanford will be in the Pac-12, as they will move to the ACC next season, meaning these two sides will be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. The ACC in both men’s and women’s soccer is an utter gauntlet, and only proves to be even more brutal in the coming years as they add Cal, SMU, and Stanford, three quality soccer programs.
1 hour 15 mins to kick: One of the best stories of this 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game is the presence of young talent. As mentioned before, the match pits the best attack in the nation (FSU) against the country’s most stout defense (Stanford).
Notably, both squads are led by young stars. The Seminole attacking line is fronted by freshman Jordynn Dudley, who was named first-team All American thanks to her explosion onto the scene with FSU. She earned a place on the USWNT U20 side at this past summer’s CONCACAF U-20 championship and scored in literally the first minute of the team’s opening match.
On the other end, Stanford defender Elise Evans is in her sophomore season, coming off her first collegiate campaign when she won national Freshman of the Year, quite an accomplishment for a defender. She also has USWNT youth experience, and was teammates with Dudley at the U-20 tournament over the summer, serving as co-captain. Two future youth national team stars in the making.
JORDYNN DUDLEY STAND UP‼️‼️
The All-American scores her 13th goal of the season, and the Noles are up 2-0🍢🍢#OneTribe pic.twitter.com/ZUXmNTVT8s
— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) December 2, 2023
1 hour 30 mins to kickoff: Welcome to The Sporting News’s coverage of the 2023 NCAA women’s soccer championship, live on-site in Cary, NC where Florida State and Stanford present a simply fabulous matchup to contest for the national title.
This game pits the nation’s best offense in Florida State (3.18 goals per game, No. 1 in NCAA DI) against the toughest defense in the country in Stanford (0.413 goals against average, No. 1 in NCAA DI).
What a show this should be.
Championship Monday🏆
🆚 Stanford
📍WakeMed Soccer Park
⏰ 6 p.m.
📺 ESPNU#OneTribe | @TruistNews pic.twitter.com/Fj2Q69YAi0— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) December 4, 2023
2023 NCAA women’s soccer championship lineups, team news
Florida State feature two first-team All Americans in their starting lineup, including freshman sensation Jordynn Dudley up front. The young striker from Milton, Georgia scored 13 goals and assisted eight more this season, including three goals in her past four games through the NCAA Tournament.
The other is winger Onyi Echegini, a senior from London who leads the team with 15 goals, which puts her at eighth in the nation in that category. Combined, the two lead the most prolific offense in the country, as FSU is one of just three teams in NCAA DI scoring over three goals a game.
Florida St. starting lineup (4-3-3): 1. Roque (GK) — 7. Iwai, 20. Gilchrist, 8. Flynn, 17. Van Zanten — 10. Brown, 13. Nesbeth, 3. Huff — 9. Olsson, 11. Dudley, 6. Echegini.
Florida St. subs: 18. Maria Alagoa, 15. Kaitlyn Zipay, 30. Leah Pais, 0. Olivia Garcia, 16. Sophia Nguyen.
The most notable figure in the Stanford lineup is forward Jasmine Aikey who was named a first-team All American this season after bagging 22 goal contributions this season, evenly split at 11 goals and 11 assists. The sophomore from Palo Alto has been relatively quiet since her hat-trick against Cal to close out the regular season, and will need a big game here to spring a title-winning upset.
Defender Elise Evans was also a standout performer, leading the nation’s best defense as Stanford conceded a measly 0.413 goals per game, tops in the nation. Also just a sophomore, Evans was named a third-team All American off the back of a campaign where she was named Freshman of the Year by TopDrawerSoccer last season.
Stanford starting lineup (4-3-3): 1. Campbell (GK) — 8. Bhuta, 15. Wesley, 2. Evans, 18. Brandt — 21. Jung, 5. Harvey, 10. Doms — 3. Montoya, 12. Aikey, 20. Kitahata.
Stanford subs: 17. Erica Grilione, 33. Lumi Kostmayer, 11. Catherine Paulson, 24. Maryn Wolf.
How to watch 2023 NCAA women’s soccer championship
The entirety of the 2023 NCAA men’s and women’s College Cup has been televised on ESPNU, with both the semifinals and finals broadcast live on the channel. This match will also be shown on ESPN3.
The games can be streamed on ESPN+ or WatchESPN for those with valid login credentials, while ESPNU can also be found on Fubo.
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