Last-minute thriller: Florida State upset No. 1 Stanford to win Women’s College Cup

Florida State ended Stanford’s 17-match unbeaten run on Monday, winning its fifth national championship with an 87th-minute winner at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The No. 3 seed defeated the top-seeded Cardinal in the College Cup final for the second time in three years, adding a third national title in five seasons.

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  What happened

  Stanford entered the final with a nation-best 96 goals, but a lights-out performance from Florida State freshman goalkeeper Kate Ockene – who finished with a career-high nine saves – kept the Cardinal at bay. The Seminoles defended nearly flawlessly, surviving 18 shots, nine on target, before Wrianna Hudson seized on a late defensive lapse in the 87th minute.

  Hudson, the team’s leading scorer with 15 goals, delivered the winner with a finish from the top of the six-yard box. With four minutes remaining, Stanford pushed hard for an equalizer, but Florida State managed the closing moments with composure, keeping the game under control until the final whistle.

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  A rematch of 2023

  Florida State beat Stanford 5-1 to win the 2023 NCAA National Championship, though Stanford still leads the all-time series 4-3-0. That meeting marked FSU’s fourth title and second in three years, with four different Seminoles finding the net.

  Entering Monday, Florida State owned four national titles while Stanford had won three. Both returned to the final with different storylines. The Seminoles, ranked No. 3, reached the championship match for the seventh time in the last 11 years. Senior forward Jordynn Dudley, a MAC Hermann Award finalist, arrived with 11 goals and was a constant threat, firing four shots even if she didn’t score the winner.

  Stanford entered as the favorite, averaging a nation-best 4.0 goals per game. The attack was led by Jasmine Aikey, who finished the season with 21 goals.

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  The MVP

  Freshman goalkeeper Kate Ockene had the performance of her life as she was tested throughout the entire match and stepped up on each occasion to keep a high-octane Stanford attack at bay. 

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  The big loser

  Stanford’s back line finally broke in the 87th minute. A corner kick set the sequence in motion, and the Cardinal failed to fully clear the initial delivery, which dropped at the penalty spot. The loose ball eventually fell to Janet Okeke, who played Taylor Suarez down the right. Suarez drove a low cross back into the six-yard area, where Wrianna Hudson arrived unmarked to finish.

  The group had conceded just one goal in its last three matches prior to Monday's loss.