On Friday, Dec. 5, the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles will face off against the No. 2 TCU Horned Frogs in the semifinals of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament. This game, the first of the College Cup weekend, will be nothing short of an epic battle between two of the country’s highest-performing teams all season. Here’s a look at how each team got here, and what it will take for them to win on Friday and advance to the finals:

How Florida State got here:

On Friday, the Seminoles will be making their 15th College Cup appearance in program history, their fifth in the last six years. In order to get here, Florida State beat Samford 7-0 in the first round; Lipscomb 1-0 in the second round; No. 2 seed Georgetown 3-1 in the third round, and Ohio State 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

The keys to Florida State’s success in the NCAA tournament have been a few crucial players whose performances on Friday night may determine the Seminoles’ fate. Sophomore midfielder Taylor Suarez is all over the place and seems to be involved in at least half of all Florida State goals, notching a brace against Samford and an assist against Lipscomb. Junior midfielder Yuna McCormack, one of the most talked-about players in college soccer, tends to score early and often.

Florida State also does not withhold scoring to its front line. Midfielders like Suarez and McCormack, as well as defender Heather Gilchrist, defender Mimi Van Zanten, midfielder Nyanya Touray and defender Jaida McGrew have all gotten on the board this postseason, demonstrating how swiftly players on this team can move in and out of position to take advantage of key opportunities

What it will take for Florida State to win:

Florida State is a top team and they know it. They don’t carry an underdog story; in fact, making it to the College Cup is something expected, both by the team itself and by fans of the sport. For Florida State to win, they can’t underestimate their opponent.

They also have to make sure to capitalize on any and all scoring opportunities. Though they beat some of their tournament opponents by healthy margins, they only beat the unranked Lipscomb by one goal, despite taking 20 shots. Florida State doesn't need luck, they have skill; they do, however, need to use that skill when it matters most.

How TCU got here:

For TCU, the 2025 postseason is also not a story of luck, because they are a skilled team. However, their third round and quarterfinal victories were nothing short of storybook moments. In order to get there, however, they had to beat Grambling and Memphis in the first and second rounds, which they did by scores of 7-0 and 4-0, respectively.

When it came time for TCU to take on North Carolina in the third round, it was anyone’s game. North Carolina, traditionally the powerhouse of NCAA women’s soccer, underperformed this season and entered unseeded, compared to TCU’s No. 2 seed. The Tar Heels are, however, never to be underestimated, and after a scoreless 82 minutes, they got on the board first and made the game 1-0. The Horned Frogs tied it up with seconds to go, and after a scoreless overtime, beat the Tar Heels 4-3 in penalty kicks, an appropriate finish for a dramatic game.

But, the theater didn’t end there. TCU then faced No. 1 seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals, and although the score remained 0-0 at the half, the Commodores outshot the Horned Frogs 18-2 in the first 45. In the second half, Vanderbilt got on the board in the 77th, but TCU tied the game with five minutes to go and then won after scoring on a penalty kick in overtime. With a second dramatic win in a row, TCU clinched its first ever berth in the College Cup.

What it will take for TCU to win:

If the last few victories taught TCU anything, it’s who the ball needs to get to. Senior forward Seven Castain has been a scoring machine this postseason, and redshirt freshman midfielder Emma Yolinsky is as useful in setting up goals as she is in scoring them. Senior midfielder Sydney Becerra is the master of set pieces and conversions off of her corner kicks and free kicks have been the game changers for the Horned Frogs throughout the tournament.

TCU has also been anchored by goalie Olivia Geller, who had a career-high nine saves in the Frogs’ victory over the Commodores. She made eight saves in the previous game against the Tar Heels. If Castain, Yolinsky, Becerra and Geller are playing at their best, this team will be truly hard to beat. But, how many dramatic victories can one team win? With Friday’s quarterfinal game, TCU has the chance to prove that their wins are made of mettle, not magic.

5wins pick: TCU, 2-1