Rutgers women's soccer falls to Florida State in heartbreaking Final Four loss
Rutgers’ historic season has come to a heartbreaking end.
The Scarlet Knights fell to No. 1 overall seed Florida State on Friday in the College Cup semifinals after traveling across the country to Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
After a scoreless first half, Florida State’s Jaelin Howell secured the Seminoles' their ticket to the championship game with a goal in the 71st minute.
The Scarlet Knights pushed until the very end, doing their best to penetrate Florida State’s defense even as the game clock dwindled. But once the Seminoles picked up their attack, it was hard for the Scarlet Knights to keep up with the top-ranked team.
Florida State will now play BYU in the championship game on Monday at 8 p.m. BYU defeated host Santa Clara, 3-2, in a penalty shootout after a scoreless, double overtime draw late Friday night.
Despite the upset, Rutgers head coach Mike O’Neill said he was proud of his team. The Scarlet Knights had a record year, which included a Big Ten banner and 10-0 record in conference play.
"They were brilliant tonight. Created chances, executed a game plan, and worked hard as a team," he said after the game. "We were 28 strong this evening and left nothing on the field. It’s a disappointing result, but it’s been a historic year."
The loss puts an end to the Scarlet Knight’s historic postseason run. The program earned a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. This weekend marked the first time Rutgers earned a spot in the College Cup semifinals since 2015. The Scarlet Knights have never reached the title game.
The semifinal match started slow. Florida State possessed most of the scoreless first half, but Rutgers was able to contain the Seminoles' attack. Florida State picked up the pace in the second half. Howell found the back of the net from pressure that was building up in the Seminoles' attacking third. Florida State kept the pressure high, with time running out before Rutgers could respond.
This loss marked the first time the Scarlet Knights went on the road in six weeks. Their top seed earned them home-field advantage in the early rounds of the tournament, yielding close-to-sellout crowds at Yurcak Field.
This year's squad was led by a strong group of outgoing seniors, including forward Amirah Ali, who in January was drafted by the Portland Thorns. Ali, and senior midfielders Gabby Provenzano and Frankie Tagliaferri, said they wanted this year's group to be remembered for their work ethic, grit and determination.
"I hope that we set a good example, and have left a good culture for this program to continue to build on," Tagliaferri said, "because we’ve done a lot this season, and we’ve grown together through the ups and the downs, and I’m sure the 2015 women’s team did the same exact thing."
That 2015 team was the first to earn a berth in the College Cup. That squad included goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who, while the Scarlet Knights were securing their ticket to the Final Four last week, was earning her first international cap with the United States Women's National Team against Australia.
A loss to Michigan in the Big Ten championship game lit a fire under the Scarlet Knights that fueled them through the last four weeks. The team overcame two penalty shootouts to earn their ticket to this weekend’s Final Four showdown.
This year marked the 10th consecutive appearance for Rutgers in the NCAA tournament, after going undefeated in Big Ten play. The team also secured the conference's regular-season crown with a 10-0 conference record, becoming the first university program to earn a Big Ten banner.
Earlier this week, O’Neill reflected on his team’s record-setting year.
“I just think how hard they work, and the way they go about their business every day is really special about this team,” he said. “We’re very proud of them. Very proud of them. It’s been a really good season. A historic season. We don’t want them to forget that.”
Melanie Anzidei is a reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: anzidei@northjersey.com
Twitter: @melanieanzidei
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers women's soccer falls to Florida State in Final Four
