Only three games remain in the regular season for Florida State soccer and finishing above .500 in conference won’t be easy.
The Seminoles let a win slip away on Saturday as NC State’s Taylor Porter found the net at the buzzer in regulation. Despite outshooting the Wolfpack 37-5, FSU had to settle for a draw to move to 3-3-1 in ACC play.
After a 7-0-1 finish to a difficult non-conference and ascending to No. 2 in the polls, ACC play has not brought out the best in FSU. If the ACC Tournament started today, FSU would be the No. 7 seed. The remaining games before the conference tournament are all on the road against Pittsburgh, Virginia and Miami.
The Good News: Despite being less stellar in ACC play, Florida State remains in the top 15 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and entered the week with a No. 4 RPI. The Seminoles continue to lead the ACC and rank in the top 10 nationally in goals against average. In 15 matches this season, only Boston College has scored more than one goal against FSU.
The remaining slate is also manageable. A trip to Virginia on Oct. 21 will be challenging, but Pittsburgh is winless in ACC play and Miami has a losing record. Talent-wise, Deyna Castellanos and Yujie Zhao remain as one of the top scoring duos in the ACC. Although FSU is currently seventh in the ACC, it is worth noting that the Seminoles won the ACC Tournament two years ago as a No. 6 seed.
The Bad News: Although the defense has been solid all season long, FSU is averaging just one goal per game in its last three. Two of the three losses for FSU in ACC play have been shutouts. In conference play, only North Carolina has allowed fewer goals per game than Virginia, making that a tough match-up for the Seminoles.
After an outstanding non-conference, Bollinger has posted just a .667 save percentage in ACC play. That ranks outside the top 10 among ACC goalkeepers.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Perrone Ford/FSU athletics
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