Florida State Outlasts Wake Forest For Berth In ACC Women's Soccer Title Game
Seminoles defeat Demon Deacons 4-2 in penalty kick shootout.
Florida State keeper Ali Mims halted some key saves in the penalty kick shootout.

Florida State keeper Ali Mims halted some key saves in the penalty kick shootout.

Nov. 3, 2006

  • Box Score
  • ACC Championship

    CARY, N.C. - Florida State and Wake Forest played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer before moving to a penalty kick shootout in the second semifinal of the 2006 ACC Women's Soccer Championship. The Seminoles remained unbeaten against the Demon Deacons in three matches (1-0-2) in ACC Tournament history as Florida State won the shootout 4-2. After both teams missed their opening penalty kicks, Florida State nailed the next four to move on to Sunday's championship final.

    Florida State and Wake Forest played an even first half with the Seminoles holding a slight advantage in shots at 6-4. The Demon Deacons did not allow a corner kick through the first 45 minutes maintaining a 2-0 edge.

    The Seminoles looked to crack the scoreboard first but sophomore Mami Yamaguchi's blast sailed wide in the 30th minute. With ten minutes remaining in the first half, Wake Forest had a great scoring chance as Sarah Winslow's shot from the top of the box was saved by Florida State keeper Ali Mims. Less than a minute later, Selin Kuralay of FSU had a shot carom off the far post to keep the match scoreless heading into the locker room.

    Yamaguchi almost gave the Seminoles the lead midway through the second half as her kick deflected off goalie Laura Morse and spun back towards the Deacon goal. But a strong defensive effort by Wake Forest cleared the ball out of the zone ending the Seminole threat.

    Wake Forest countered with two point blank shots in the 64th minute. The first attempt by Taylor Toombs was blocked by the Seminole defense. Elizabeth Remy gathered the loose ball and fired a shot from 16 yards out. Mims made a diving save on the Remy shot to end the Demon Deacon threat.

    Wake Forest was awarded a free kick on the Seminole end line with two minutes remaining in the match. Toombs flicked the ball to a wide open Kristen Kemp in the box where she headed the ball just over the cross bar sending the match into overtime.

    In overtime, Florida State had the first scoring chance off a throw-in by Kelly Rowland. Rowland flicked the ball into the box where Yamaguchi sent a shot that sailed wide right of the net. Wake Forest countered with its best scoring chance less than a minute later on shot by Toombs. Toombs raced down the right side of the field firing a shot from inside the box where it was cradled by Mims.

    The match went into a second sudden victory overtime where neither team was able to muster a goal moving the match into a penalty kick shootout. It would be the second time in ACC Tournament play that the Seminoles and Deacs would battle it out in pks. In 2000, after both teams played to a 1-1 tie, the Seminoles advanced to the semifinals on pks, 5-4.

    In the penalty kick shootout, Florida State's Katrin Schmidt, Becky Edwards, Libby Gianeskis and Mami Yamaguchi all made their shots, while Kristen Kemp and Jill Hutchinson connected for the Deacs. Ali Mims and Kaitlyn Doe each made a save in the pk session, while the second Deacon shot missed wide left.

    The match-up on Sunday will feature the top two seeds for the 10th time in tournament history and for the fifth consecutive year. This marks the third time that North Carolina and Florida State will square-off for the championship crown. The Tar Heels defeated the Seminoles in 2001, 4-0 in Winston-Salem, N.C. and then again in 2003, 3-2 in Cary, N.C.

    The tie moves Florida State 14-2-4 on the season and into the finals for the third time in the last six seasons, where they will face top-seeded North Carolina on Sunday, November 5 at 3:35 pm. Wake Forest moves to 15-5-1.

    A web cast replay of this match is available online through ACC Select at www.theacc.com.

    Goal Time Team Goal Scorer Assists
    None

    Penalty Kick Shootout - Florida State wins on pks 4-2
    Florida State - Selin Kuralay (missed)
    Wake Forest - Taylor Toombs (missed)
    Florida State - Katrin Schmidt (made)
    Wake Forest - Christy Carter (missed)
    Florida State - Becky Edwards (made)
    Wake Forest - Kristen Kemp (made)
    Florida State - Libby Gianeskis (made)
    Wake Forest - Jill Hutchinson (made)
    Florida State - Mami Yamaguchi (made)

    Shots: Florida State 11, Wake Forest 20
    Corners: Florida State 1, Wake Forest 5
    Saves: Florida State 9, Wake Forest 3

    • QUOTES

    WAKE FOREST HEAD COACH TONY DA LUZ:
    On changing keepers for the penalty kick shootout:
    We practiced penalties today, believe it or not. That's all we did today. Kaitlyn Doe did a great job (in practice). She's quick, athletic and does a great job in reading the ball, so that's what I based my decision on.

    On tonight's match against Florida State:
    We have kept getting better and better over the last three games. And we dominated this game but that's soccer.

    FSU HEAD COACH MARK KRIKORIAN
    On the semifinal match
    "Overall it was pretty good. Our defending again was pretty good. I thought we created enough chances during the run of play that we could have scored a goal or two. Credit Wake's goalkeeper for playing off the line and doing a good job in that regard. They played hard tonight. I thought they were good."

    On advancing to the ACC Championship
    "It is nice to play in the championship. It is a lot of games in a short span and would love a little more rest before having to face North Carolina. We will go out and do battle. I am sure it will be an intense, physical, competitive game."

    On Ali Mims' play in the shootout
    "She was fantastic. I thought she was good. She was solid and did a good job in the penalties. She did what she needed to do to get the result."

    On Mami Yamaguchi putting FSU into the finals with the last kick
    "Mami is as technical as it gets. She is able to use that technique at different times. On the penalty she took it well. She is wonderful with the ball and showed her composure and technique on the penalty."

    FSU GOALKEEPER ALI MIMS
    On how similar this was to her shootout win versus Virginia in the 2001 ACC Tournament semi-final
    "It feels like I have been here before. I had a feeling once we went into the second overtime and the clock was winding down that this may go into PK's. I hate PK's but thought about. I have been in this situation before. I needed to do whatever I could. Coach gave me a good strategy and I just tried to stick to that. I saved one and that was all it took. Mami had a great shot and put the game away for us."

    On playing for the ACC title as a senior
    "Winning an ACC Championship is something we have been striving for. We haven't been here since 2003 and I haven't played in an ACC Title game since 2001. Out of any year, this would be the year the seniors would love to accomplish that goal for FSU soccer."

    FSU MIDFIELDER MAMI YAMAGUCHI
    On her winning penalty kick
    "I wasn't nervous because we practiced PK's before we came to Cary. We tried to look at this just like practice. Ali made a great save and then another Wake player missed so we had the advantage. I just went up there with confidence."