COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – At the conclusion of their 22^nd season on Saturday December 13, 2025, Florida Tech women's soccer reached the promised land, defeating Franklin Pierce, 3-0, to earn the program their first ever national championship. 
 
GAME INFORMATION 
Score: 3-Seed Florida Tech 3 | 4-Seed Franklin Pierce 0
Records: Florida Tech 17-3-6 (5-2-3 SSC) | Franklin Pierce 17-3-5 (6-1-2 NE10)
Location: Weidner Field | Colorado Springs, CO
 
GAME NOTES
• The Ravens nearly took the lead inside the opening minute but multiple denials of Makenzie Shean by Kaitlin Sinkler kept the game scoreless. 
• Franklin Pierce threatened again in the sixth minute, but Sinkler kept it at 0-0 by saving McKenna Maguire's effort. 
• Florida Tech got on the board in the 14^th minute thanks to a beautiful ball from Alice Mottershead that sprung Lauryn Wood free. Wood then fired from along the end line and with multiple Ravens defenders in the area, the ball ricocheted into the back of the net for Wood's eighth goal of the season.  
• The Panthers nearly doubled their lead in the 19^th minute, but Sofia Posner's low shot was saved by Jess LaCroix. 
• Sara Batchadji was close to creating something from nothing in the 25^th minute with a left-footed volley that went just wide. 
• Mottershead was inches away from a worldie in the 40^th minute as her chip from distance beat the keeper but hit the crossbar.  
• Sinkler proved massive again in the final minute of the half as she pushed away Samantha Breton's effort off the end of a set piece to keep Tech in front, 1-0, going into the intermission.
• Breton would have the first opportunity of the second half three minutes in from a corner, but her shot was wayward. 
• Mia Otero came close to making it 2-0 in the 50^th but her shot was saved by LaCroix.
• Otero and Izzie Bromage each had chances in the 53^rd but couldn't find the back of the net.
• Sinkler threw herself in front of Claudia Peirce's chance in the 57^th to keep Tech on top. 
• Another Ravens chance came with 30 minutes remaining, but Jenna Delgado's shot was skied. 
• Sinkler denied Grace Martin's deflected shot in the 74^th to keep the Crimson and Gray's champions hopes alive. 
• Less than a minute later, Sofia Posner placed a perfect cross into the box that Peyton White headed home for the first goal of her collegiate career to make it 2-0 Panthers. 
• Sinkler saved Breton for a second time in the 75^th minute before Breton fired wide just over a minute later. 
•  Olivia Crespo had an opportunity to give Franklin Pierce a lifeline in the 81^st minute but pushed her shot just to the left. 
• Naganawa secured the championship with 2:36 remaining, firing home from the top of the box after a feed from Mottershead and Posner. 
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• This marks the school's first national championship since 1991, when men's soccer defeated Sonoma State.
• Kaitlin Sinkler was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, having made 41 saves across six tournament games, including seven in the final.  
• The Panthers shut out their opponents over the final 204:37 of the NCAA Tournament and had four clean sheets in six tournament games. 
• Lauryn Wood's first half goal was the seventh NCAA Tournament goal of her career, breaking a tie with Marem Ndiongue (2021-2023) for the most in program history. Her 17 career points in NCAA Tournament play are tied with Ndiongue for the most in program history. 
• Katy Freels is the first female coach in Florida Tech history to coach a team to a national championship. This was also her 30^th win in charge of the Crimson and Gray, making her the quickest to reach that milestone in program history. 
• Peyton White's goal came less than two minutes into her first appearance since the SSC Semifinal exactly one month ago. 
• Rio Naganawa's goal was the first for her since her brace against Saint Leo on October 1^st.  
• This was Savannah Oxley's 81^st game in her Crimson and Gray career, the most for any player in program history.  
• The senior Class of 2026, featuring four-year members Halla Helgadottir, Oxley, Sinkler and Wood, finish their Panther career with 55 victories, which is the most of any class in program history. 
• Florida Tech is now 2-0-1 all-time against Franklin Pierce.