Seminoles steamroll hokies in blacksburg

Patrick Campbell

October 2, 2020

BLACKSBURG - No. 2 Florida State beat Virginia Tech in dominating fashion, winning 4-0 on the road at Thompson Field on Thursday night. The Seminoles lit up the Hokies for 17 shots with two goals coming off of their six corner kicks.

Virginia Tech had a strong performance in the first half. The Hokies held the second ranked Seminoles to two shots, and head coach Chugger Adair’s choice to play a veteran lineup seemed to pay off until the 44th minute. A winding cross from Florida State midfielder Jenna Nighswonger resulted in an own goal from Virginia Tech defender Sydney Ash to out the Seminoles up 1-0 heading into the half.

Tech's strengths of its strong first half faltered as Florida State captured the momentum and carried it into the second half. FSU never looked back as the team dominated the Hokies' defense. The Seminoles added 15 shots in the second half, resulting in three additional scores, with two of the goals coming off corners.

Florida State exposed Tech's recent Achilles heel - defending set pieces. The Hokies have allowed a goal from a corner in each of their last three games. FSU’s best set piece goal materialized on a beautiful corner into the center of the box that produced a header, bouncing in off the crossbar by midfielder Jaelin Howell in the 70th minute.

The best offensive opportunity for the Hokies came when midfielder Emily Gray forced a free kick just outside the 18-yard box in the 38th minute. The shot went directly into the teeth of the Seminole wall, which seemed to be a common theme for Tech's offense, as it only mustered one shot on the night.

Virginia Tech (0-5, 0-3 ACC) and Florida State (3-0, 3-0 ACC) both return to action on Sunday - the Hokies host Pitt at 3 p.m., while the Seminoles travel to Wake Forest for a 1 p.m. start.