Florida State women’s soccer visits red-hot Wake Forest in the week’s most compelling match

The GIST: As Division I women’s soccer’s toughest conference, it’s no surprise that the ACC boasts half of the country’s Top 10 teams — two of which will face off in a fascinating showdown tomorrow. The conference’s reigning queens, No. 6 Florida State, will visit its newest rising power, No. 4 Wake Forest, at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX. Getcha popcorn ready.

The powerhouse: Florida State’s banner 2023 season saw the ’Noles win all but one match (a 3–3 draw with then–No. 1 UNC), their fourth straight ACC tournament title, and the natty. This year, they’re back in top form despite a major offseason roster rebuild. FSU’s scored 33 goals so far while conceding just three as they’ve played to an impressive 7-0-2 (wins, losses, draws) season record.

• Senior Taylor Huff leads the Seminoles’ attack with support from an all-star cast of freshmen. FSU does have vulnerabilities, however, as seen in their disappointing 1–1 draw with unranked SMU last month.

The up-and-comer: Hoping to exploit those vulnerabilities are the Demon Deacons. Unlike the ’Noles, Wake Forest entered the season with moderate expectations after finishing sixth in the conference last year. Since then, they’ve shot out of a cannon, soaring from unranked three weeks ago to the nation’s No. 4 squad as of yesterday.

• The secret to Wake’s meteoric rise? The highlights of their 8-2-2 record: A September 15th 3–0 shellacking of then–No. 2 Virginia and a September 19th 1–0 dub over then–No. 1 Stanford.

• That pair of wins made the Deacs the nation’s hottest team…but was it a flash in the pan, or the first statements of a brand-new superteam? One way to find out: Tune in tomorrow as the ’Noles put ’em to the test.