Thriving at the top, FSU soccer continues to impress
In all organized sports — collegiate and professional alike — there is always that one team to beat. In women’s college soccer, that team is the Florida State Seminoles.
Game by game and season by season, head coach Mike Kirkorian and the Florida State women’s soccer team are filling out their section of the history books. Kirkorian took over the Seminoles soccer team back in 2005 and has skyrocketed the program to greatness over 17 seasons.
During his tenure, Kirkorian has led the ’Noles to five National Championship games, with two wins in 2014 and 2018. In 13 of 16 seasons as head coach, Kirkorian has recorded at least 16 wins. The Seminoles are also coming off a national title appearance in the 2020 season, just missing out on another championship after falling to Santa Clara 1-4 in penalty kicks.
From 2005-2015, the ’Noles were the only squad to end the season in the top 10 on a consistent basis. The team is held to such a high standard it’s considered abnormal for them to not reach the College Cup or win the ACC in a given season.
This year, FSU is loaded with talent. The roster runs deep with talented freshmen like defender Alyssa Stadeker and many returning stars like sophomore goalkeeper Christina Roque and junior forward Jenna Nighswonger. It’s evident at the start of the season that the Seminoles are dominant on both halves of the field as they continue to outscore their opponents by considerable margins.
While the FSU fanbase pines for the football program to return to its former glory, the women’s soccer team is basking in it. Fans are being drawn to seats more and more each year to witness their greatness.
Since the Kirkorian dynasty began, the Seminole Soccer Complex has consistently seen an average attendance exceeding 1,000 with exponential growth each year. Of course, this number took a hit with the ongoing 2020 global pandemic, but fans are as excited as ever this year.
FSU's home win over UF on Sept. 2 saw a crowd of 2,552 in attendance at a 2,000 seat complex. This is the sixth-largest turnout in the Seminole Soccer Complex’s history since its opening in 1999. People from all over are coming out to witness the No. 1 team in the nation put on a show.
However, the talk of their success has never been a distraction in the past, and that remains the case in 2021.
“We don't really talk about it,” Nighswonger said. “The standings can change so quickly, and every team is really good. Every team is a competition, so just because we're number one right now doesn’t mean that we're gonna end number one.”
The Seminoles retain their humility and remain far more focused on winning by taking this season one game at a time. That’s the mentality of a dynasty. They remain at the top because rather than seeing their number one position as something to lose, they see it as something to keep winning.
With the sheer amount of talent, leadership, and dedication defining the roster in 2021, the Seminoles are more poised than ever to continue their undefeated streak and add some hardware to their collection at the end of this season.