Going into the year after losing a legendary coach and several key players (Jaelin Howell, Kirsten Pavlisko, Yujie Zhao and Emily Madril), I was skeptical about our chances of repeating a College Cup run. We exceeded my expectations by making that run and ultimately losing to UNC in the semis. Now we lose Jenna (straw that stirs the drink) Nighswonger, Heather (dangerous creator out of the back) Payne and Clara (rock steady and comes up in big moments) Robbins. We also lost our backup keeper Mia Justus to Texas. 4 good recruits we know of. BP must hit the portal hard and bring in several transfers in the Ochegini caliber mode in order to return to the CC IMO. I'm excited to see who else we bring in. I heard that Taylor Huff from Tennessee is in the portal. There is definitely a connection there. Anybody hear anything else?
Join us in welcoming our newest Seminole, 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗳𝗳! #OneTribe▪️ 2022 Third Team All-American▪️ 2022 All-SEC First Team▪️ 2021 All-SEC Second Team▪️ 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year▪️ 2020 United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year▪️ 15 Goals, 12 Assists pic.twitter.com/5UtcT75W4x— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) December 17, 2022
That'll help! Not sure what her style of play is but assume Pensky has his eye on her for the 10 role given her assists...
Either there or replacing Clara. She is versatile enough to play either role. Will likely depend on who else they can get in the portal.
Rather unethical of Pensky to accept a transfer from his former team. I think the high road would have been to immediately caution any Vol player in the portal that he's not going to recruit against his former team. Yes, she opted to enter the portal--and one can say that once that is done, it's all fair, but it's tacky to raid your former team, IMO. Yes, I'm a salty Vol fan who is pissed at the Tennessee athletic director. Pensky leaves a loaded Vol team for FSU. The UT athletic director takes the lazy, easy road and quickly hires a guy who had been an assistant with the program for 15 years. Why? Because the players liked him. Uggh. I like the guy--but 15-year assistants tend to be risky hires, and that proved to be the case last year. The Vols thrived in a 4-4-2 two seasons ago, won 20 games, SEC Tourney Champs, were a NCAA 3 seed and should have been a 2. The assistant takes over and with all starters but one back, opts to go with a 3-back system--moving players who excelled in certain positions the year before into new positions. Upshot: The team never took to the new formation--had some good defensive efforts but struggled to score goals, lost to all the top teams it played, and the 20-win Vol team of 2021 became the 11-win team of '22, losing in the first round of the NCAA and now losing its best player in Huff--a very athletic midfielder/forward. Sux.
It was classy that he didn't take any Vols last year. Should he have let Huff got to Duke or UVA or UNC? Sorry for the Vols' loss, but FSU needs immediate help and apparently she is capable of that! We need 3 or 4 more like her to have a chance to return to the CC.
First off, I completely understand why you feel this way as a Vols fan. If I were in your shoes I wouldn't like this situation too much either. However, I don't think that it is fair to say that Pensky "raided" UT. It was Taylor's decision to enter the portal. Once that was done she should be free to go to whatever program she feels is best for her. It's not fair to her for a certain school to be blocked just because her former coach is now there. I do thank you for the explanation of what happened at UT this year. It was obvious from the results that they underachieved but you filled in the reasons very well. I have to disagree Tom. FSU lost 3 starters from a team that was arguably the best in the nation at the end of last year (hence the #1 overall seed). They now have Huff who is an excellent player on the level of the starters that departed. In addition she plays a position that is now a need with Clara and Jenna leaving. FSU needs depth, a backup GK and maybe an outside back. If the Noles got a starter at outside back and a couple of young players for depth that can be developed for the future they would be favorites to get back to the CC. Of course it would be great to get 3 or 4 Huff caliber players but it isn't necessary (at least for next year).
TallyT. We disagree. FSU was incredibly fortunate this year with injuries! It would be foolish to expect that to happen again. IMO, barring a couple more huge transfers, we will have a significant drop off. I don't know Huff very well. Maybe she replaces Clara seamlessly. I doubt she is as good as Jenna, but hope I'm wrong. So assuming she does replace Clara, we still have 2 huge drop offs in Jenna and Heather. Certainly we have people who can play in their places, but we never replaced the skill set of Emily Madril this year. IMO, with Emily's offensive forays, this team has another natty. We've been spoiled for some time with CBs who were not only excellent on defense, but dangerous bringing the ball forward. Not his year. I see a similar drop off at Heather's position. The current team doesn't have someone of similar skill for that position. Not trying to disrespect our depth, but you watched the same games I did. Am I missing something. IMO 3 or hopefully 4 more transfers of similar quality would allow us to A) have better depth to absorb an injury or two and B) not experience a huge drop-off. Now maybe 2 or more of the freshmen may help fill the talent role, but certainly not the depth we need. Now it's possible that Brian takes Ochegini and puts her in the 10 (good back to goal, physical and good at turning and attacking or dishing). That is assuming either Garcia is ready to assume a bigger role w/o a huge dropoff or a newbie (Fr or transfer) is ready for that. Just spitballing. I'm looking at the how we can go win a CC next year, not just how we can manage a slow decline.
I tend to agree with Tally that not reasonable to expect a few more transfers of this caliber and not necessarily needed to maintain level of this year. I’m thinking about it this way… there won’t be four all Americans moving teams, certainly not all to FSU (prove me wrong soccer gods)! This is a huge pickup of one of the best players in the portal. It looks like Huff did take on the play making 10 role for Tennessee. And did it well enough for AA honors. I think Jenna’s role is hers til proven otherwise. (Although I too am intrigued by echigini taking one of the other mid spots if Garcia or other is ready for the wing. The writer at TN was thinking Iwai for the 10 and no interest here in seeing that without a really big step forward on her part. We are not an elite team if that is our best playmaker available. Not trying to be harsh, I just don’t see her skill set as fitting that critical role). This is a video from UT describing the roles their respective mids took on this year. https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1582536642556055554 She’s obviously familiar with Pensky’s system. Really great for her development and a great signal to other recruits that this is a coach worth moving for. I’m not following why it would be unethical for Pensky to take her, but appreciate it must be frustrating to lose such a good player. I agree with above comments that FSU need a keeper and depth from the portal and I’d be thrilled to see a quality starter brought in at fullback… that’s asking a lot but BP may be up for the challenge. Huff answers the biggest other question for me. BP has been selective in the portal to great effect so far… excited to see what else he can do from here in the portal and on the trail!
We'll see. Obviously we are all speculating, but that's what we fans do. I disagree with Prince at TN about Iwai at the 10. Don't see it.
I'm hopeful and optimistic about FSU and the portal. Penn State got 3 studs this past year from the portal. Cassie Hiatt a 3rd team AA from Tex Tech, Penelope Hocking a super stud from USC and our own Olivia Smith. Now that doesn't mean we will do the same, but the FSU brand is a bigger brand IMO than PSU in soccer. Despite the losses of studs like Zhao, Howell, Pavlisko, Carle and Madrill, the biggest dropoff on the field was at CB. We did not replace Madril, we put someone in her place. We did OK replacing Zhao, Howell and Pavlisko, we just didn't have the same depth. Looking to next year, maybe Huff does a great Jenna impression. Maybe a freshman or Alagoa/Zipay or other can handle Clara's role. I just don't see Heather's role being filled adequately. Greedy me, I want someone to take a CB role similar to Madrill and another to be similar to equal to HP; otherwise we are lesser at 2 positions next year vs 21.
Good discussion here. Huff will replace Jenna at the 10. Prince was speculating about Iwai there but he said that was only with the current roster. He said that the portal could change things. Huff's arrival changes things. She will be the new #10. She will start there on day one. She is not the same player as Jenna (more athletic, less technically skilled) but she will do a fine job. She was 3rd team AA at UT and will probably play even better at FSU with more talent around her. Every team loses players and must adjust. UVA loses its entire front line (Spaanstra, Hopkins and Jarrett), Duke lost Cooper (almost their entire offense) two years early. I don't disagree with you that FSU didn't adequately replace Madril but they compensated well enough in other areas to make a third straight CC even with an entirely new coaching staff. Flynn is ready to take the next step and could easily become the next great CB at FSU. Outside back is an issue as I stated before but we are just getting started in the portal. I would be stunned if FSU didn't bring in more players. Tom, you are correct. FSU did benefit from great injury luck last year (as long as you don't count Pavlisko not playing) but remember there are no perfect teams. Every team in the nation can point to (at least) a couple areas where they can be better. Last year FSU had to put a midfielder at outside back where she never played before, another midfielder at holding mid where she never played before and start a true freshman at CB while at the same time working with an entirely new coaching staff. What was the result? Another ACC Title, an overall #1 seed and another CC. Not too shabby. The holes FSU has to fill this year aren't as dire as last year and they have already filled one of them (the #10 role) with arguably the best player available in the nation. Even if FSU suffers injuries there is enough talent on this team to compensate and FSU isn't finished in the portal. FSU won't be a perfect team next year but fortunately they won't have to beat any perfect teams.
*groans in pain as a UNC fan* I saw the Huff news and wanted to congratulate you guys. She was a menace when UNC played Tennessee earlier in the year. While I agree with Tom I don't think she's going to be anywhere close to filling the shoes that are leaving, she'll go a long way to keep FSU a College Cup contender.
Looks like she got a ton of minutes at LB the last two years. Should make for some much needed depth at minimum!
So far the only former FSU player that has registered for the 2023 NWSL draft is Emily Madril. We will see if any more join her or if they all choose to go to Europe.
They have until January 9th to declare. 92 players registered for the NWSL Draft by my count......should be double that when all is said and done if going by past precedent.— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) December 22, 2022
change of plans!!i am super grateful to announce my verbal commitment to Florida State University. i could not be more excited for my new home and the opportunity to be a seminole :) #gonoles🍢 pic.twitter.com/kivVeXAa6w— Taylor Suarez (@TaylorSuarez24) December 28, 2022 I've never heard of a UNC commitment switching it up for FSU. I'll allow it. At least we have one top 25 on board for next year.
Upon further review I am convinced if Madril had played this last season Fsu would have repeated. Could of should of would of. Go Noles!
Clara Robbins has officially registered for the 2023 NWSL Draft. Looks like she will stay in the United States.
I don't think that FSU has officially announced this yet but Claire Rain is officially a Nole. Pensky has found his outside back. Lady Vols’ Claire Rain announces soccer transfer destination (usatoday.com)