Despite home field advantage and an unwavering offensive effort, the Georgetown University women’s soccer team fell 3-1 to the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Nov. 23. Second balls on corners were the Hoyas’ detriment as their 2025 season came to an unwanted close. Despite relatively even possession and similar number of shots Georgetown (16-4-3) had 9 and FSU (13-2-4) had 10 the Seminoles were able to slip two more shots past the keeper during corner chaos to reach the NCAA quarterfinals. FSU was quick to take charge as the match kicked off, sending up a shot on goal in the first minute of play; senior goalkeeper Cara Martin leaped up and saved the attempt. The Seminoles maintained this early momentum before Hoya graduate forward Maja Lardner barreled down the pitch in the 8th minute, and FSU keeper Kate Ockene came out to meet Lardner at the edge of the box. Ockene secured the ball, but in doing so, she seemed to have stepped out of the box. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was employed, and the referee determined Ockene remained in the box to the crowd’s outcries. From there, the intensity heated. Lardner took the ball down the field again in the 12th minute and sent it to senior midfielder Ellen Carter, who directed it into a box devoid of Hoyas and earned Georgetown a corner. After a string of missed passes, senior forward Natalie Means took a shot that skimmed past the goal as Ockene parried it out. The resulting corner led junior defender Isabel Boodell to take a shot that sailed close to the right post as the Hoyas regained the charge. As the half continued, Georgetown mainly controlled possession and charged down the pitch on the counterattack many times to no avail. In the 22nd minute, senior midfielder Shay Montgomery broke down the touchline on the counterattack, streaked past a defender and crossed the ball to Lardner. Lardner headed the ball for the Hoyas’ second unsuccessful shot on goal. FSU tried to get back into the action around the 30-minute mark, going on a quick attack and sending out a shot that skimmed the outside of the near post after Martin failed to make contact with it. The play was later ruled offside. Lardner had a weak shot on goal straight at the keeper in the 31st minute, and FSU responded with a shot of their own in the 31st minute that sailed high over the goal. The Seminoles did the same again two minutes later. The Seminoles were given a direct free kick just outside the penalty arc in the 36th minute after a short Hoya disagreement with the referee. FSU forward Jordynn Dudley sent the ball far to the left of the goal. In the 40th minute, the Seminoles made a break and put up the first goal of the game. Martin tried to stop a ball speeding toward the net with a slide and the ball bounced off of her. FSU defender Mimi Van Zanten grabbed the rebound and sent it over Martin to put the Seminoles ahead 1-0. The rest of the half was uneventful. Building on their goal, FSU stormed into action after the break. Dudley streaked down the field, broke past an awaiting defender and sent the ball toward the goal; Boodell stepped in the way, landing the Seminoles a corner. After multiple blocked attempts, forward Nyanya Touray found the back of the net as Martin and the Hoya defensive line did not respond, pulling the Seminoles ahead 2-0 in the 47th minute. Ten minutes later, the Hoyas responded, earning a corner and putting up many attempts including a shot on goal to the top of the net by sophomore midfielder Lizzie Heller before kicking the ball out to redshirt senior midfielder Mary Cochran at the right corner of the box. Cochran powered the ball into the far corner of the goal to cut Georgetown’s deficit to 2-1. The crowd erupted, and the energy continued. In the 62nd minute, the Hoyas almost found the back of the net again when Heller stole the ball and went on the counterattack, earning Georgetown a corner. The Hoyas lost the corner, regained possession of the ball, took it down the pitch and sent the ball toward the Seminole keeper, who did not secure the ball. Means took the rebound shot and misplaced her boot, and the ball sailed over the goal. The Georgetown offense did not let up. The Hoyas brought the ball so intensely down the pitch that at one point a Seminole fell headfirst over the crowd barrier because she could not stop running in time. Despite their best efforts, Georgetown did not send up another shot on goal for the remainder of the game. In the 77th minute, the Seminoles drew a corner, but Montgomery headed it away. FSU found the ball again and sent it into the back of the net to seal the deal at 3-1. The play went to VAR review for potential offsides, but the call on the field and goal remained. In the 84th minute, senior forward Henley Tippins fell on her head after a bad header. It looked like she was going to exit the game, but within the minute she sent up a shot that skimmed the far post. The Hoyas drew a corner but could not convert for their last chance of the game. Martin took a shot from midfield to cap off her Georgetown soccer career as the final whistle blew, and the Hoyas’ 2025 season came to an end. During the 2025 season, the Hoyas maintained a perfect 10-0 conference record, won the Big East regular season title, recorded Head Coach Dave Nolan’s 300th career win and achieved a No. 7 national ranking. Georgetown returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021. Head Coach Dave Nolan said he was proud of his team’s performance throughout the season. “I’m so proud of my own kids and my own team for this year,” Nolan told The Hoya. “And we did some special things to get back to the Sweet 16, which we haven’t been in for a couple of years. To win the regular season with a perfect 10 and 0 record, I think in time the kids will understand that it was a great year, but I’m not going to lie, it does sting, because they’re a great group and they would have wanted to spend at least another week together.” Nolan said the team will lament the loss for a day and then recognize their achievements. “And now, we’ll lick our wounds for about 24 hours and have a bit of a soak, and then we start realizing what a great season it was,” Nolan told Georgetown Athletics.
https://thehoya.com/sports/sports-top/womens-soccer-hoyas-fall-3-1-to-fsu-end-2025-season-at-sweet-16/
