BOCA RATON, Florida — In the truncated nature of Division I soccer, it’s a rare sight to see two powerhouse programs square off three times in one season.

But that scenario will come to pass on Sunday in the 2014 College Cup national championship, as Virginia is set to take on Florida State for the third time this year (1 p.m., ESPNU).

The first two meetings, once in the regular season and once in the ACC title game, both ended with 1-0 wins for the Seminoles, as there was little to separate the two.

The expectations are similar heading into Sunday’s final.

“I imagine that [Sunday’s] game will be competitive, hopefully it’ll fuel us that we didn’t win the last two games,” Virginia head coach Steven Swanson said. “That’ll help us in terms of our mentality, the things we have to do and how sharp we have to be.”

Added Florida State head coach Mark Krikorian: “I think we have two very good teams that are going to go out on the big stage tomorrow and test ourselves to see how good we are.”

It’s a game ripe with story lines. Virginia’s top-ranked attack, which has scored 88 goals in 25 games, stacked against a Florida State back line that hasn’t conceded a goal in all five NCAA tournament games, and just nine on the entire season. Virginia’s only two losses all season were at the hands of the Seminoles, while Krikorian and Swanson will matchup against one another at these programs for the 16th time.

Both teams are also chasing their first-ever NCAA national title, and returned to the College Cup after an appearance in 2013, although the Seminoles are on their fourth consecutive trip to the national semifinals.

The Seminoles aren’t feeling any pressure to achieve a breakthrough after getting back to the title game for the second straight year.

“The fact that we’ve been to a College Cup final before makes us more excited than feel pressure, and I think we want it even more now because we know what it feels like to lose,” FSU midfielder Isabella Schmid said. “I think every single person is ready to fight and give it everything in order to win this Cup.”

The midfield battle could end up dictating Sunday’s winner. Virginia’s Morgan Brian and Danielle Colaprico will go head to head with Michaela Hahn, Isabella Schmid and Dagny Brynjarsdottir in the center of the park.

“It’s important that we move the ball quickly,” Colaprico said. “We’re familiar with them, we’ve played them twice, so I think that’s good for us. Me and Morgan can handle pressure in the midfield very well and we move the ball quickly so I think that’s going to be key against them.”

Said Schmid: “We just all have to be very disciplined. They are very organized and very talented, especially in the midfield and we can’t give them any space and time because they can make something great out of it. So we just need to keep our concentration high, we need to be disciplined, we need to be physical with them.”

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Swanson said that in the first couple of matchups, Virginia had their chances but didn’t take them. Even with the offense whirring at this stage of the season, scoring 23 goals in five tournament games, he knows that Sunday’s matchup won’t be any easier.

“They’re organized, they have quality players in every position and they understand their roles from a defensive standpoint,” he said. “I think that’s what’s made them successful, and they take pride in that. It’s a strong challenge for us.”

Florida State forward Cheyna Williams could be a critical factor too. The transfer from Vanderbilt was a handful against Stanford on Friday night, using her pace, power and ability to score both goals for the Seminoles. She knows a pair of Virginia defenders well, including a former Vandy teammate Tina Iordanu who starts at left back for UVA, and center back Emily Sonnett, a rival during their club days in Georgia.

Brynjarsdottir and Brian are both full internationals as well for their respectively national teams. Could either be the player who tips the scales in their team’s favor?

Krikorian had nothing but high praise for Brian, who no matter what happens will play her last game for the Cavaliers.

“Anyone’s that paying attention to women’s soccer in this country is familiar with Morgan,” Krikorian said. “She’s an exceptional talent, her ideas about the game are at an elite level, her quality on the ball is exceptional, I don’t know how many more adjectives I can come up with, maybe someone smarter than I am can help me with this. She’s a kid that’s had a great career and her future is very bright.”

With the caliber of both programs and elite talent on display, a fitting finale is set for Sunday. Each side can hope that the third time truly is the charm.