DeLAND, Fla. — Stetson women's soccer (0-1-0) fell 4-0 to No. 4 Florida State (1-0-0) Thursday night at the Stetson Athletic Training Center. The match drew more than 750 fans, marking the largest attendance in ATC history.
The Hatters were tested early by the reigning national champions, but goalkeeper
Clare Boesel kept Florida State off the scoreboard with saves at 10:36, 12:24, 14:14 and 24:01 to preserve a scoreless match through the opening half.
Stetson created its best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes in the final minute, when
Payton Quinones put a shot on goal at 44:44 that was saved by Florida State goalkeeper Kate Ockene. The teams entered halftime tied 0-0, with the Hatters holding the fourth-ranked Seminoles scoreless through 45 minutes.
Stetson continued to battle early in the second half, with
Julianna Liguori putting a shot on goal in the 51st minute that was saved by Ockene. The Hatters' defensive effort continued to frustrate the nation's No. 4 team, as Stetson kept Florida State off the scoreboard for nearly 58 minutes before the Seminoles finally broke through in the 58th minute.
Florida State added three more goals in the second half as the Hatters fell 4-0 in the season opener.
Boesel finished the night with a career-high nine saves.
"Let's hope we have her for more than that, but to come back with her attitude and mentality, and to make some big saves, that was always going to be needed tonight," Stetson head coach
Jamie Souza said of Boesel's performance.
Souza also praised the Hatters' back line for keeping Florida State scoreless for nearly an hour and credited the team for embracing the game plan despite having limited preparation time.
"The whole team really bought into what we were doing and was able to implement it pretty well," said Souza.
While the Hatters were unable to find the back of the net, Souza saw positives in Stetson's ability to create opportunities and compete against one of the nation's top teams.
"We generate a lot of good off by being really good out of possession and having a little bit of quality," said Souza.
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Up Next
The Hatters hit the road Sunday, Aug. 16, traveling to Kennesaw State for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
