We’re down to the Final Four. It’s been a long and grueling season for these student-athletes who now have to deal with constant change. The transfer portal, longer flights and NIL money are just a few things that college players must navigate. However, based on the teams in the College Cup, one thing never changes. The ACC is and will continue to be the premier conference in women’s college soccer. For the third straight season, at least three teams at the NCAA College Cup are from the ACC. The dominant programs, Florida State, Stanford, and Duke, welcome a new member to the party for the first time ever, TCU. Not only are these games being played at a really high level, but there are a lot of future pros, and this is a great chance to watch them. Let’s break down the 2025 NCAA College Cup.
#3 Florida State Seminoles vs. #2 TCU Horned Frogs, Friday, December 5th, 6:00 pm EST/3:00 pm PST, ESPNU
Florida State is aiming for its 5th National Championship in school history and its third in the last five seasons. All Brian Pensky has done is pick up right where Mark Krikorian left off, the Seminoles’ program hasn’t missed a beat since he took over. FSU is loaded with future pros at every level of the field. Heather Gilchrist (defender), Yuna McCormack (midfielder), and Jordynn Dudley (forward) are the stars to watch and are worth tuning in for.
Their opponent is this year’s Cinderella at the NCAA Tournament. I know, how can a #2 national seed be a Cinderella or an underdog? Well, this is entirely new territory for TCU. Eric Bell has built this program from the ground up; they had never even made the NCAA Tournament until he got to Fort Worth. In 2020, Bell and his Horned Frogs made the jump as a premier Big 12 program.
They’ve made it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet Sixteen twice in the last six seasons before finally getting over the hump and reaching the College Cup. This Horned Frogs team has had a never-say-die attitude with multiple last-second goals to keep this dream run going. North Carolina experienced it the hard way after conceding with the last kick of the game, before TCU would beat them in penalties.
The Horned Frogs did it again against Vanderbilt, scoring in the 85th minute to tie it before winning the game in extra time. Emma Yolinsky and Sydney Becerra’s goals were the difference, and are two elite players. But their best is Seven Castain, who leads the team with 17 goals this season. Florida State is surely going to put Castain at the top of their scouting report.
Make no mistake, this TCU program is legitimate, having put pros like Yazmeen Ryan, Ryan Williams, and Messiah Bright in the NWSL. Can this TCU team find magic one more time against Florida State? It would be incredible to see TCU pull this off, but Florida State’s talent, coaching, and experience are just too good.
Prediction: Florida State wins 2-1
#1 Stanford Cardinal vs. #2 Duke Blue Devils, Friday, December 5th, 8:45 pm EST/5:45 pm PST, ESPNU
Stanford is back in the College Cup for the third straight season and seems like a team on a mission the third time around. Two years ago, they lost in the final to Florida State, and last year lost to Wake Forest in the semifinals. A lot of those players are still on this year’s team, like Jasmine Aikey, Elise Evans, Allie Montoya, and Andrea Kitahara. That core four has played a huge role in Stanford’s success. The Cardinal has been as steady as ever under Paul Ratcliffe and is on track for its fourth National Championship all-time, but the first since 2019. They have come close the last two years, could the third time be the charm?
The Duke Blue Devils will have something to say about that as they are also back in the College Cup for their second consecutive season. There’s one slight caveat. Legendary coach Robbie Church retired at the end of the season and was replaced by long-time assistant Kieran Hall. Hall could do what Margueritte Bates did three years ago: win a National Championship in your first season as a head coach. Duke’s defense and goalkeeping have been flawless; they have yet to allow a goal in the NCAA Tournament, which is incredibly hard to do. Mia Minestrella and Kat Rader are a tough one-two punch with 30 goals and 17 assists combined this year between the two.
There truly isn’t much separating either of these teams, and the best part is that these two teams never played each other in the regular season. There’s no reference point from earlier in the season because of how the ACC does its schedule. I have to give the edge to Stanford and their seniors, who have seen it all on their way here. Duke has an incredible team, but I’m siding with the experience Stanford has.
Prediction: Stanford Wins 3-2 (After Extra Time)
Featured image via @ncaasoccer on Instagram
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