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FSU stuck it to the Tar Heels in a 1-0 win against the reigning champions on the road.
The Seminoles lined up for their first Top 25 matchup of the season, and of course, it had to be against their fiercest rival, the Tar Heels. This was the game circled on calendars since the schedule dropped. Adding extra sting, UNC came in as the reigning National Champions after FSU’s surprise early exit from the tournament kept them from defending their 2023–24 title.
With that backdrop, the pressure was palpable from the opening whistle. The Tar Heels lashed out first when Olivia Thomas nearly pounced on a shaky clearance, firing from close range but sending it wide. The Noles wasted no time in answering, rattling off five shots in the first seven minutes. UNC keeper Abby Gundry came up big, especially in the 5th minute when she denied Jordynn Dudley’s low, close-range effort.
The first 25 minutes featured some end-to-end play with both teams having promising moments. The Noles’ midfield and defense held strong and dampened the UNC attack. Their offense created many promising opportunities, but poor passes and mistimed runs ruined their chances.
By the 31st minute, Coach Brian Pensky had already dipped into his bench, subbing out nearly the entire front line. The fresh legs added energy, but the rhythm was uneven as the new group settled in. The half wore on, and UNC began to find their footing.
After a quiet stretch, the Noles sparked life again in the 34th minute. A slick flick from Dudley sliced the Tar Heel defense down the middle and found Solai Washington at the top of the penalty box. Washington drove forward with a golden look, but her shot lacked bite, giving keeper Gundry the chance to deflect.
Heart rates continued to climb before the halftime break. UNC’s best look so far came in the 43rd minute when reigning Hermann Trophy winner Kate Faasse worked her way to the top corner of the Seminole box. With a sharp cut inside, she unleashed a rocket across goal. Keeper Addie Todd was spared only by the width of the post as the ball flew wide, and the half ended scoreless.
The second half opened with the tension dialed all the way up. Jordynn Dudley led the charge, and in the 51st minute she maneuvered past multiple defenders to rip a shot that screamed toward goal but failed to bend into the corner. She remained the spark for every attack, so when she went down in the 56th minute clutching her knee, FSU’s future looked unclear. After an anxious pause and a heavy tape job, Dudley returned. That tape job not only supported Dudley’s knee, it held together the hopes and dreams of the Seminole offense.
Just two minutes later, the breakthrough came. Taylor Suarez carved out space in midfield and pushed the play forward before slipping it to Enasia Colon on the right wing. Colon delivered a pinpoint cross that found Dudley open in the box. At 5’11, you might think it’s hard for Dudley to go unnoticed, but her timing was perfect and she darted into space, split the defense, and nodded home a header that UNC’s keeper had no chance of stopping.
With the lead in hand, FSU kept pressing, though the Tar Heel back line refused to break. The match settled into a midfield tug-of-war until the 71st minute, when Solai Washington dribbled through pressure and unleashed a shot that deflected dangerously, forcing Gundry into a sharp save under the bar.
Moments later, UNC mounted their biggest push yet, earning their first corner of the match in the 72nd minute. The initial delivery fizzled, but the sequence set off several active minutes, capped when Lauren Malsom went down in the box after a tangle with Lara Dantas. The stadium held its breath during the video review, but the referee’s original call — a corner, not a penalty — stood.
The Tar Heels had their best looks at goal in the last 13 minutes of the game. Their first official shot on goal came in the 77th minute when Kennedy Riley forced FSU’s Todd to save a low, driving ball heading towards the near post. Just two minutes later, hearts stopped as Todd came well off her line but failed to win the ball. With the net wide open, UNC’s star forward, Olivia Thomas, looked destined to equalize—until center back Janet Okeke coolly rose and nodded the danger over the bar.
The opportunities for the Tar Heels kept coming, but FSU’s defense kept their sheet clean. The referee even gave UNC a nice chance in the 85th minute when a surprising foul was called on Todd for time-wasting just as she went to punt the ball. Down the stretch, the Noles showed poise, pinning the ball in UNC’s corner and bleeding out the clock. The one-goal lead was fragile, but proved strong enough to win the game.
On paper, the stats lean Garnet and Gold, but the match itself was tighter than the numbers suggest. This team is still ironing out kinks—misplaced passes and rushed decisions clipped the wings of several promising attacks. In their best moments, though, the Noles looked strong: fighting for possession, zipping the ball across the field, and leaning on a deep bench that saw 21 players take the pitch (16 logging at least 29 minutes). That depth is a weapon against thinner squads and a boon come tournament time, though it may slow chemistry in the short term.
For now, Pensky’s plan got the job done. Key players are rising to the challenge, and the starting lineup is beginning to crystallize. Dudley routinely makes everyone around her better, and another standout performance by Janet Okeke made it obvious why she was just named ACC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Noles earned their fifth straight shutout, toppled their fiercest rival, and walked out of Chapel Hill with a statement win. Against the reigning champs. On the road. In front of a record crowd. That’s the kind of night you circle in bold.
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