After a season opening loss, NC State women’s soccer earned some momentum with a 1-1 draw at rival East Carolina in the Pack’s first road match of the season.
The Wolfpack (0-1-1) played excellent defense all night, giving itself a chance despite the squad’s offensive struggles. NC State held the Pirates (0-1-1) scoreless in the first half as senior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas made five saves in the first 45 minutes. While the Pirates scored once in the second half via a penalty kick, Pratapas quickly bounced back and held ECU scoreless the rest of the way.
Offensively, it was a slow night for the red-and-white. The Pack had its chances to score early with seven shots in the first half, but nothing worked for NC State. After a lackluster defensive performance vs Liberty to open the season, ECU rebounded defensively, holding NC State scoreless most of the night.
With the clock quickly winding down, the Pack finally earned a golden opportunity to score via a corner kick. Earning the assist, sophomore midfielder Mana Nakata put the corner kick in play, setting up the equalizer for sophomore forward Antonella Mazziotto. The Uruguay native headed the ball from straight on, firing into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1 apiece — which would ultimately be the game’s final score.
While the Pack converted just one shot into a goal, NC State did a great job of finding opportunities. Outshooting the Pirates 17-14, NC State earned more shots than its opponent for the second game in a row, establishing a habit of giving itself more opportunities to score than the opposition. The next step for the Wolfpack is now converting those shots into goals.
Still searching for his first win in Raleigh, new head coach Gary Higgins already has made a positive impact on the defense, with the Pack conceding just one goal in the road effort. However, the Wolfpack is still a work in progress offensively, with just a single goal to its name this season.
Next up, NC State will travel north to battle the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday, August 21. The match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. with coverage from East Lansing available on Big Ten Plus. The Spartans are 0-0-2 after earning draws against Colorado and Dayton.