Leilanni Nesbeth and her top-seeded Florida State Women’s Soccer teammates defeated fourth-seeded Pittsburgh 3 - 0 to advance to the NCAA Quarter-Finals for the 17th time in program history. This is the fifth straight season that the Seminoles have advanced to the Elite 8.
Florida State took a quick lead in the second minute after Onyi Echegini, Jody Brown and Beata Olsson connected on a goal just one minute and 17 seconds into the game. Echegini fired a perfect deep pass to a streaking Brown who was one-on-one with the Pittsburgh goalkeeper. The keeper knocked the ball away from Brown but Olsson was right there to strike it into the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season. It was FSU’s fifth goal scored in the first two minutes of a game.
Florida State started out the second half almost exactly the same way they did in the first half. Florida State scored one minute and 18 seconds into the second half. Pitt attempted to clear the ball from their 18-yard box but the ball landed right at Nesbeth’s feet. From just over 20 yards out, Nesbeth launched a rocket into the right corner of the net.
The lead expanded to three in the 57th minute. Echegini made another fantastic deep pass to Brown who made a few Pitt defenders miss before scoring her eighth goal of the season.
