Florida State women’s soccer won its fourth national championship — and third in the last six years — on Monday night, with a dominant 5-1 win over Stanford.

The five goals are the most in a women’s championship game since 2003, and the most that the Cardinal have allowed since 2000. Stanford hadn’t conceded five or more goals in a game since 1996, and the 2023 team had allowed just 10 goals all season.

With the win, Florida State (22-0-1) became the first undefeated NCAA women’s soccer champion since Stanford went 23-0 in 2011. The game also marked the first time in history two undefeated teams met in the women’s College Cup final.

Stanford became the first team to score on the Seminoles in the NCAA Tournament when midfielder Maya Doms broke through in the 52nd minute, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Florida State’s offensive onslaught.

Monday night’s College Cup final was billed as an offensive-defensive battle: Stanford entered the championship allowing just 0.42 goals per game this season, while Florida State had the top scoring offense in the country, with goals in 34 straight games.

Freshman Jody Brown registered a brace, while senior Beata Olsson had a goal and two assists. Onyi Echegeni — a senior midfielder and member of the Nigerian national team — and freshman Jordynn Dudley each recorded a goal and an assist in the win.

Dudley, who scored her 14th goal of the season on Monday, earned College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors, and junior defender Lauren Flynn was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The title was the first for FSU second-year head coach Brian Pensky, who succeeded legendary coach Mark Krikorian.

The Seminoles are now second all-time in Division I women’s soccer history with four national championships, surpassing Stanford and trailing only North Carolina (21).

The 2023 NCAA College Cup kicks off on Friday, with Florida State, Clemson, BYU and Stanford battling for a spot in this year’s national championship game. In many ways, these final four teams follow the arc of the regular season. In total, the semifinalists have lost just five games and two of the teams are undefeated.

Outside of reigning champion UCLA’s shocking ouster in the first round of this year’s tournament, the semifinals are full of powerhouse teams featuring numerous players with professional careers in front of them.

Nearly every starter on these four teams has a shot at the pro level, and increasingly in both the NWSL and beyond, those opportunities are not reserved for graduating seniors. Here are a few of the upperclassmen (and one underclassman) worth watching in the semifinals, some more well-known than others but all serious professional prospects.

Jasmine Aikey, Midfielder, Stanford

Stanford briefly lost their way after winning the 2019 national championship, but in 2023, they’ve been rejuvenated by the success of their recent recruiting classes. Sophomore Jasmine Aikey, the only underclassman on this list, has turned heads on her way to being named a MAC Hermann semifinalist. She leads the undefeated Cardinal in goals (11) and assists (10). And in this year’s NCAA Tournament, she’s played facilitator, currently on a four-game streak with at least one assist.

Maya Doms, Forward, Stanford

Fifth-year senior Maya Doms is one of the final connectors between the 2023 Stanford team and the squad that won the 2019 NCAA championship in her freshman year. She’s captained the team since 2022, providing both the chance-creating talent and leadership qualities that have led the Cardinal to an undefeated season. She’s scored 10 goals and registered six assists in the Stanford attack, including a dramatic strike in overtime against Nebraska last week that sent her team to the College Cup. She also recently spent time with the USWNT U-23s, teaming up with a number of players already succeeding in the NWSL.

Onyi Echegini, Midfield, Florida State

Born and raised in England and already featuring for the Nigeria national team, including at the 2023 World Cup, senior Onyi Echegini should garner heavy interest across the pond after closing out her final year of eligibility. She’s scored 15 goals and contributed four assists for the Seminoles this season. She can make runs in behind the defense and make backlines pay from distance. Echegini’s pure striking ability and poise in front of goal is also among the best in the entire college system.

Taylor Huff, Midfielder, Florida State

Junior Taylor Huff, playing in her first season with the Seminoles after transferring from Tennessee, can sometimes fall under the radar, but she has been a consistent midfield engine since her arrival. She leads the team in assists with 13, keeping the Seminoles’ vaunted attack humming with ease. Florida State has executed two big wins so far in the NCAA Tournament, most recently with Huff opening the scoring in a 3-0 defeat of Pitt in the Elite Eight.

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Makenna Morris leads Clemson in goals this season from defense. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Makenna Morris, Defender, Clemson

Don’t let senior Makenna Morris’s position fool you because she’s a proven goal-scorer. Doing it all for the Tigers, Morris has notched 10 goals this year, the second-most for a defender in NCAA history. And she didn’t reach that tally by taking lucky shots from distance. Morris has keen off-the-ball vision to find good positions in front of goal, and she’s just as capable of collecting and sinking a through-pass as she is defending on the other end. She’s the kind of fearless, multi-talented player who can propel a team to a title game.

Megan Bornkamp, Forward, Clemson

Senior Megan Bornkamp will also be crucial to the Tigers’ shot at their first-ever NCAA title game. Another player with USWNT U-23 experience, Bornkamp started her college career as a defender but has since flourished in the Clemson attack, most notably scoring the late equalizer in Clemson’s Round of 16 win over Georgia. She consistently produces high-quality scoring chances, and she has functioned as much as a playmaker as an out-and-out scorer in 2023.

Brecken Mozingo, Midfielder, BYU

Senior Brecken Mozingo is the complete package of an attacking midfielder, leading BYU’s balanced attack with a whopping 14 goals and 15 assists this season. She’s the Cougars’ primary penalty taker, going 5-for-5 on the season, and she has shown a skill for reading the field with a calm mind. Mozingo notched a goal and an assist in BYU’s furious 4-3 comeback against North Carolina in the Elite Eight, and fans can expect to see her pulling the strings in the College Cup.

Olivia Wade-Katoa, Midfielder, BYU

Senior Olivia Wade-Katoa works alongside Mozingo in perfect tandem, contributing 12 goals and eight assists of her own in 2023. None were more crucial than her strike in the second-to-last minute of the Elite Eight, giving the Cougars their improbable 4-3 victory over the Tar Heels. Wade-Katoa has the mentality of a college veteran, coming in clutch multiple times this season to provide game-winning goals. Look for her to combine with Mozingo to try to launch BYU into their second title game in the last three years.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

The 2023 College Cup is here, with three of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA soccer tournament making it through to the semifinals.

Top seeds Florida State, Clemson and BYU have reached the final weekend, as well as No. 2 seed Stanford. BYU advanced only after a shocking come-from-behind victory over perennial power North Carolina, which had taken a three-goal lead into the half. The Cougars responded, rattling off four unanswered goals to advance.

“I’ve never seen that in my life,” UNC coach Anson Dorrance said. “That was just an extraordinary comeback for a great team. They came after us.”

In the semifinal round, Florida State will face Clemson in a rematch of the ACC Tournament championship, which the Seminoles won 2-1. They also won their earlier meeting with the Tigers back in September. BYU will go up against Stanford in the other semifinal.

This year’s College Cup will take place in Cary, North Carolina, at WakeMed Soccer Park. The first semifinal will be played at 6 p.m. ET Friday, Dec. 1, with the second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on ESPNU.

The national championship will kick off at 6 p.m. ET Monday, Dec. 5. The championship match also will be televised on ESPNU.

2023 College Cup: Schedule and results

Friday, Dec. 1:

  • 6 p.m. ET – No. 1 Florida State (20-0-1) vs. No. 1 Clemson (18-3-4)
  • 8:30 p.m. ET – No. 2 Stanford (19-0-4) vs. No. 1 BYU (20-2-3)

Monday, Dec. 4:

  • 6 p.m. ET – TBD vs. TBD

The best time of the year is here, with the NCAA women’s soccer tournament set to kick off on Friday, Nov. 10.

A total of 64 teams are set to compete for the national title, with defending champion UCLA among them after the Bruins took home the Pac-12 conference crown. They are joined by Florida State, Clemson and BYU as No. 1 seeds in the tournament.

Four teams will play in the tournament for the first time: Idaho, Maine, Ohio and Towson. Check out the full bracket here.

The first round will be played Nov. 10-12, and the second and third rounds will take place on Nov. 17 and 19. The quarterfinals will take place on Nov. 24-25.

This year’s College Cup will take place in Cary, North Carolina, at WakeMed Soccer Park on Dec. 1 and 4. The first semifinal will be played on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. ET, with the second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The national championship will kick off at 6 p.m. ET Monday, Dec. 5. The College Cup matches will be televised on ESPNU.

NCAA women’s soccer tournament: Schedule

  • Round of 64: Nov. 10-12
  • Round of 32: Nov. 17
  • Round of 16: Nov. 19
  • Quarterfinals: Nov. 24-25
  • Semifinals: Dec. 1
  • Championship: Dec. 4