Florida State Claims Historic First Road Victory
TALLAHASSEE – Florida State did more than win a game on Tuesday afternoon. It crossed a threshold.
With a 14-5 dismantling of Kent State at Dix Stadium, the Seminoles claimed the first road victory in program history, a landmark result powered by a ruthless start and a record-chasing sophomore who refused to ease off the throttle.
Kenny and Harrell Rewrite the Book
From the opening whistle, this was Meg Kenny’s stage.
The sophomore attacker tied the program record with six points and matched the single-game mark with five goals, delivering her first career five-goal performance and seventh multi-goal outing of the season. She scored early, she scored often, and every time Kent State looked for a foothold, Kenny kicked it away.
She didn’t do it alone. Freshman attacker Summer Harrell turned the afternoon into her own breakout show, also tying the program record with six points. She finished with a career-high four assists and added two goals, becoming just the second Seminole this season to hit four assists in a game. When the ball ran through Harrell, the Kent State defense rarely had answers.
Sophomore midfielder Lydia Ward stitched everything together. Two goals, two assists, four points, and her third multi-assist game of the year. She was the link between defense and attack, and Kent State never quite tracked her runs or her vision.
By the final horn, Florida State had seven different goal scorers and a stat sheet that looked like a program taking a step forward in real time.
A Blitz to Open the Door
Florida State didn’t ease its way into history. It kicked it down.
Just 46 seconds in, Harrell slipped a pass to freshman Amelia Brite, who buried the fastest Seminole goal of the season. Kent State barely had time to reset before Kenny struck for her first, assisted by Ward. Less than a minute later, the roles flipped: Kenny fed Ward for 3-0.
The onslaught kept coming. Junior attacker Faith Wooters won the ball and found junior midfielder Alyssa Deacy cutting through the heart of the defense for 4-0. Kenny then added her second of the quarter off another Harrell feed, capping a 5-0 surge in the opening 6:45 that silenced Dix Stadium.
Kent State finally responded through two goals from Crumpton to close the first quarter at 5-2, but the tone was already set. Florida State had control, and it wasn’t in the mood to share.
Records in Motion
Deacy opened the second quarter with her second goal of the day, assisted by Ward, restoring the cushion at 6-2. A six-minute lull followed, the rare moment when the game briefly slowed.
Kenny snapped it. Her third goal completed a first-half hat trick and pushed the lead to 7-2. Harrell then turned scorer, finishing off a feed from freshman Brynn Perkins to make it 8-2 before Kent State’s Lundeen, assisted by Todd, pulled one back late in the half.
At the break, Florida State led 8-3. The scoreline reflected more than sharp finishing. The Seminoles were carving Kent State apart with ball movement, and the numbers backed it up: by the end of the day, they would post single-game highs in assists (10), shots on goal (30), and clears (25).
Dominance Across the Field
The second half opened the way the first had ended – with Florida State dictating every key moment.
Ward drove from the 8-meter arc less than two minutes into the third quarter and finished herself for 9-3. Kent State answered through Bond, assisted by Haddow, but any hint of a rally vanished quickly.
Kenny struck again off another Harrell assist to restore the six-goal cushion at 10-4. Harrell then added her second of the game from a Schaefer feed, and Florida State walked into the fourth quarter leading 11-4, the contest firmly in hand.
Behind the scoring, the work on the draw and in defense kept Kent State pinned back. Wooters matched her career high with eight draw controls, giving the Seminoles a steady stream of possessions. At the back, senior defender Superia Clark turned in a career performance, posting personal bests in caused turnovers (4) and ground balls (5). She now sits at 23 caused turnovers on the season, still the standard-bearer for this defense.
Finishing the Job
The fourth quarter became a showcase of composure and depth.
Kenny added her fifth goal early in the frame, again set up by Harrell’s fourth assist of the day, tying both players to the program’s single-game points record. Freshman Emily Barnett stepped up next, converting a free-position chance for 13-4. Perkins then drove in unassisted to stretch the margin to 14-4, underlining the breadth of Florida State’s attacking options.
Kent State’s Halli pulled one back late, but by then the story had already been written.
The final whistle didn’t just confirm a 14-5 win. It stamped a moment: Florida State, 4-11 on the year, finally with a road victory to its name and a performance that looked nothing like a team learning on the fly.
Now comes the real test.
After a week’s rest, the Seminoles return home to close the regular season against No. 11 Clemson on Thursday, April 16, at 2 p.m. at the Seminole Lacrosse Complex. A first road win is in the books.
What happens when this version of Florida State steps onto its own turf against a top-15 opponent?
