BOCA RATON, Florida — Four times the senior class at Florida State had qualified for the College Cup. The first three ended in disappointment.

On Sunday, largely on the back of the team’s seniors, Florida State re-wrote the ending.

Behind significant contributions of the program’s seven seniors, FSU finally won a national championship with the 1-0 win against Virginia.

“It means everything, every year we fought for this, but this year, I just feel like this senior class was special and this team was special,” Jamia Fields said after scoring the championship-winning goal. “We weren’t going to leave without the win and we fought for each other and got the win.”

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Along with Fields, senior starters on this year’s team included Dagny Brynjarsdottir, one of the greatest Europeans to ever play women’s college soccer, Irish left back Megan Campbell and defensive stalwart Kristin Grubka, the heart and anchor of the team’s incredible defense. Two others, Hikaru Murakami and Marta Bakowska-Mathews, provided valuable depth from the bench.

Even without a championship on Sunday, the group’s accomplishments were impressive. A record of 85-14-5 (including Sunday’s win) and 32-8-3 in the ACC, the four College Cup appearances, three ACC tournament titles (2011, 2013, 2014) two ACC regular season crowns (2012 and 2014) and the two title game appearances were on the seniors’ resume.

Head coach Mark Krikorian noted that this particular group made sure that the team’s level never dropped. There was intensity and effort that became contagious as the seniors embraced a leadership role in 2014.

“The biggest thing that I’ve seen this year is that they brought it every day,” he said. “They didn’t take days off, they didn’t take sessions off. Every player came with the idea ‘I’m going to get better today.’ That’s different from what it’s been in the past…these seniors wouldn’t allow the level to drop.”

Speaking of improving and getting better, there’s little question that Brynjarsdottir has turned into an elite player during her time in Tallahassee. The potential Hermann Trophy winner and a full member of Iceland’s national team, she has competed and grown into one of the nation’s best – something she aspired to do from day one at FSU.

“She’ll be a professional player soon, either domestically or abroad,” Krikorian said. “She’s as hard working as any player we’ve had. She wants to be the best. She told me when she came to Florida State; she wants to be the best midfielder in the world. That’s a pretty tall statement, but she’s the one that out there all the time working on her game to get better and develop. I’m thrilled that she’s had the season and career that she’s had.”

Her exploits off the field and embracing of her captain’s role have also been significant. Before the College Cup, she put together a video with a clip or two of everyone on the team, including a baby picture and motivational quotes to help the team prepare for its trip to Boca Raton.

“She has taken the responsibility of being a captain to the ultimate level,” Krikorian said. “It has been a while since I have had an international player be the captain of our team. You know our team. We only have one captain. That is the voice of the team and the leadership of the team. I think she has done a very good job. She also leads by example. She is the one that is out on the field before training, staying after training, most apt to spend time on her body to make sure that it is properly recovered and so on.”

On the field, the midfielder hasn’t been the only player to make an impact, either this year or in previous seasons. Megan Campbell, a solid option at left back, yields a fearsome long throw capable of putting opposing teams on their heels in a split second. Jamia Fields earned the nickname Miss November/December for her ability to save her goal scoring antics for NCAA or ACC tournament action. Kristin Grubka stepped up from her center back spot, leading a defense that didn’t concede a goal at all in the NCAA tournament.

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So as Florida State prepares to lose this sterling crop of seniors, Krikorian already hinted at searching for the next leadership core that will ensure the high standards remain in place.

“That’s the biggest thing for next year,” Krikorian said. “Who else is going to have this level of accountability? [Defender Kirsten] Crowley said the other day ‘it all started on January 6th' that’s absolutely true. We all said ‘if we all improve 1%, including our staff, the result could be different.’ All the sacrifice they went through, they were rewarded for today.”

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