In the Wolfpack’s first top-25 matchup, the No. 16 ranked NC State Women’s soccer team defeated No. 10 South Carolina, 2-1, behind junior forward Kia Rankin who contributed both a goal and assist in the second half.
The Wolfpack (3-0-1) started off the game aggressive, getting multiple chances within the first 15 minutes, but wasn’t able to capitalize with a goal. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks (3-1-0) struggled to gain possession and did not record a shot in the first half.
The first 45 ended scoreless, but with the Wolfpack leading in shots at eight to zero.
Despite the Gamecocks settling in, the Wolfpack kept the pressure up in the second half. Four minutes in, the Pack found itself in great position with Rankin controlling the ball right outside the box. Her first pass was blocked, but she maintained position and placed a perfect ball to senior forward Maxine Blackwood for the goal.
“I saw the gap,” said Blackwood of the chaos in the box on that play. “I was like ‘Well, I’m here if she wants to play me through.’ She played me through and I got it in.”
In the 62nd minute of the game, freshman defender Jenna Butler stopped a Gamecock attack and placed a long ball perfectly in front of Rankin, who had managed to slip behind the defense. With the goalie backpedaling, Rankin was able to find her footing and slip the ball underneath to score her second goal of the season, putting the Pack up 2-0.
The Wolfpack looked in control for the first 70 minutes, playing organized ball and using their spacing and passing to get opportunities. South Carolina had a different approach, trying to use their counter attack and constant substitutions to throw the Wolfpack off.
This approach yielded some good opportunities for the Gamecocks in the second half, as they got eight shots on goal compared to only three for the Wolfpack in the second half.
“They’re one of the better defensive teams,” said sixth-year head coach Tim Santoro. “So we had to make sure we didn’t play into their trap and turn the ball over in the middle of the field and allow them a short field to come at us, and I think we did a great job.”
With nine minutes left in the game though, the Gamecocks got on the board with a header into the corner of the net.
The goal seemed to wake the Wolfpack up, and it regained the upper hand in terms of possessing the ball. At this point, their objective was to run the clock out and cement a victory against one of the better teams the Pack will face this year and prove that NC State women’s soccer is a force to be reckoned with this season.
“We know we’re good and we were looking forward to a game like this to prove how good we are,” said Santoro. “It gives us confidence, we expected to win today and put in a great performance.”
“They made it to the Final Four [last year],” said Rankin. “They may have been a little inexperienced but still a great team.”
The Wolfpack hasn’t lost a regular season game since Oct. 8, 2017 and will look to keep that win streak up as they make their first road trip of the season this upcoming weekend. The Pack will face Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Friday then will travel to New Jersey to face No. 12 ranked Princeton, the team that eliminated them in penalties at the NCAA tournament, on Sunday.
“We’ve been wanting [to face them again] for months now,” Blackwood said. “To be able to play them after this, in Jersey, I’m excited for that.”
