Sunday Centerpiece: Revisiting FSU Soccer’s ACC Championships

Florida State will look to repeat as ACC champions and win a seventh conference crown in nine years as it begins the ACC Tournament at home on Sunday against Clemson.

With a 14-4 overall record and an 8-2 mark in conference play, FSU will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Seminoles were the No. 7 seed last year before knocking off the top three seeds in the conference to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament en route to their second national championship.

With six ACC championships, FSU ranks second to only North Carolina, this year’s No. 1 seed, in terms of conference titles. FSU was a 5-time runner-up before finally breaking through as ACC champions in 2011. Before the Seminoles kick things off on Sunday, take a look back on their previous six conference titles:

2011

Seed: No. 6
Location: Cary, NC
Slate: Beat (3) North Carolina 1-0 in double-overtime, (2) Virginia, 2-1 and (4) Wake Forest 1-1 on penalty kicks
MVP: Kelsey Wys, GK
Overview: In three contests in the 2011 ACC Tournament, the Seminoles needed extra time to win two of them. The Seminoles started the tournament in Chapel Hill by breaking a scoreless tie on a goal by Jessica Price in the 105th minute. FSU rallied past Virginia in the semifinals with second-half goals from Tiffany McCarty and Janice Cayman. Against Wake Forest in the title game, McCarty drew FSU even in the 85th minute before winning 3-1 on penalty kicks.

2013

Seed: No. 2
Location: Cary, NC
Slate: Beat (7) Duke 2-0, (3) North Carolina 2-1 in overtime, (4) Virginia Tech 1-0
MVP: Kassey Kallman, D
Overview: After using a pair of second-half goals in a 90-second span to get past Duke, FSU used two own goals to beat North Carolina. The Seminoles tied the game with one in the 87th minute before winning in overtime in the 93rd minute. Dagny Brynjarsdottir scored the only goal in the championship match against Virginia Tech.

2014

Seed: No. 1
Location: Greensboro, NC
Slate: Beat (4) Notre Dame 3-1, (3) Virginia 1-0
MVP: Dagny Brynjarsdottir, M
Overview: FSU needed just two matches to win the 2014 ACC Tournament. Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Megan Campbell and Jamia Fields all scored goals in the semifinal win over Notre Dame. Campbell added an assist. In the final against Virginia, Carson Pickett scored on a header in the 17th minute for the only goal of the match.

2015

Seed: No. 2
Location: Cary, NC
Slate: Beat (3) North Carolina 2-1, (1) Virginia 2-2 on penalty kicks
MVP: Natalia Kuikka, M
Overview: In the 2015 ACC semifinal, Cheyna Williams scored both goals, including the winner against North Carolina in the 66th minute. Natalia Kuikka and Kirsten Crowley each scored goals from FSU in a title match against Virginia that went back and forth. Makenzy Doniak scored both Virginia goals, including the equalizer in the 67th minute to force overtime. After two overtimes could not decide the match, FSU won 7-6 on penalty kicks. After six straight makes from both teams, FSU goalkeeper Cassie Miller saved Meghan Cox’s attempt before Berglind Thorvaldsdottir’s goal sealed the title.

2016

Seed: No. 6
Location: Charleston, SC
Slate: Beat (3) Duke 1-1 on penalty kicks, (2) Clemson 1-0, (1) North Carolina 0-0 on penalty kicks
MVP: Cassie Miller, GK
Overview: The first time that FSU beat the top three seeds in the ACC to win the tournament was 2016. In the quarterfinal, Deyna Castellanos scored in the 48th minute to tie the match and force overtime and ultimately penalty kicks where Megan Connolly sealed the match as FSU won, 3-1. Connolly would score the only goal in the semifinal against Clemson before the ACC Championship against North Carolina came down to penalty kicks. After Haylie Grant gave FSU the penalty-kick lead, 4-3, Bridgette Andrzejewski missed wide for the Tar Heels to end the match.

2018

Seed: No. 7
Location: Cary, NC
Slate: Beat (2) Duke 1-0, (3) Virginia 3-1, (1) North Carolina 3-2
MVP: Dallas Dorosy, M
Overview: After Kristen McFarland scored FSU’s only goal against Duke in the ACC quarterfinal against Duke, the Seminoles overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit in the ACC semifinal with three second-half goals to defeat Virginia. Deyna Castellanos scored twice and McFarland added a goal. A pair of goals from Dallas Dorosy paced the Seminoles to a 2-0 halftime lead against North Carolina in the final, but the Tar Heels drew even with a pair of goals in a 10-minute span. Dorosy would assist on the game-winner in the 84th minute as Kristina Lynch found the back of the net.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.