PUTTING THE TEAM ON THEIR BACKS

A regular in the backfield, Heather Gilchrist’s 1,840 minutes played were the second most among Seminole defenders in the 2023 season. She played every minute of the NCAA Tournament as FSU dominated the competition, recording shutouts in five of six matches and allowing just one goal all postseason. Coach Brian Pensky noted the importance of the Seminole back four, including Gilchrist, in maintaining one of the nation’s top defenses. “Our backs may feel a little bit slighted. None of them are all-league players. [They] didn’t get any love,” Pensky said. “Maybe they go ‘Oh, something’s going on.’ They want to prove that they’re good defenders, individually and collectively and we’re not gonna let anybody score on us.” FSU’s defense held opponents to just 14 goals on 175 shots that season, rallying the squad to the 2023 National Championship. Gilchrist’s experience came in handy when FSU won another title in 2025 during her senior season.