TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two goals inside the first 13 minutes were all No. 22 Florida State needed Thursday night, as the Seminoles held off No. 5 Duke 2-1 at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Tallahassee for the 500th victory in program history.
The result was a quick answer to a rough weekend. Florida State had been blanked 2-0 by Notre Dame on Saturday and shuffled its starting lineup for the visit from the Blue Devils, sending out a first eleven that included Ryder Ajeto, Peyton McGovern, Nawreen Ahmad, Grace Hoytink, Bridget Mutipula and Janet Okeke along with the players who would decide the match.
Shaneil Buckley opened the scoring in the 10th minute, racing behind the Duke back line and slipping the ball past a charging goalkeeper. Less than four minutes later Sam Erbach swung in a corner kick and Tanner Strickland finished it for a 2-0 cushion.
Duke pushed back hard after the early flurry. Florida State goalkeeper Kate Ockene turned away two shots around the 20-minute mark before Mia Minestrella cut the deficit to one in the 31st minute, scoring after Ockene had come off her line. Buckley nearly restored the two-goal margin about three minutes later, but her try slid past the right post, and the Seminoles took a 2-1 edge into the break.
The second half belonged to the defenses. Ashley Henderson tested Duke keeper Molly Vapensky, and Wrianna Hudson missed wide late, but neither side found the net again. Each team put five shots on goal, and Ockene ended with four saves.
Florida State moved to 8-2-3 with the win, and Duke dropped to 9-2-4. Next up is a trip south: the Seminoles visit Miami in Coral Gables this Sunday, with a 4 p.m. start.
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