Alex Manuel
Junior forward Jade Bordeleau fights for the ball during the game against James Madison at Dail Soccer Field on Thursday, August 14, 2025. The Dukes beat the Wolfpack 3-0.
NC State women’s soccer remains winless after suffering a 3-0 loss at No. 20 Michigan State, continuing a slow start for new head coach Gary Higgins.
The Wolfpack (0-2-1) once again struggled to make a dent on the scoreboard, suffering its second shutout of the season. Through three games, the Pack has just a single goal. Meanwhile, the Spartans (1-0-2) earned their first win of the year with an emphatic performance.
The Pack got off to a disastrous start, surrendering a goal just three minutes into the game. On a Wolfpack goal kick, Michigan State’s Kennedy Jones leaped in front of the kick, controlled the rebound, and scored an easy goal into an empty net — putting the Spartans ahead 1-0. The Wolfpack never recovered.
The home squad remained on the attack early as the Spartans scored again in the first half. 36 minutes in, Michigan State found the back of the net, this time on a well-timed crosser. With senior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas diving to the side to stop the Spartans, Michigan State moved the ball horizontally to set up another open net opportunity and capitalized for a 2-0 lead. The Spartans remained up two heading into halftime.
With the Wolfpack offense sputtering, the red-and-white already appeared to be out of the game after the first 45 minutes. The deficit continued to grow in the second half as Michigan State netted another goal via a header from a corner kick. Trailing by three goals, any comeback hopes were dashed for a team that has failed to threaten any team offensively this season.
For NC State, finding any offense must be the top priority moving forward. The Pack has been outscored 7-1 this season, with the lone goal coming on a corner kick. The competition will only get tougher for NC State with ACC play on the horizon.
For the third straight game, NC State outshot its opponent, yet it didn’t impact the scoreboard. Finding higher-quality shots, even at the expense of the quantity of shots, is needed for the Pack to find its rhythm offensively.
NC State will continue to search for its first win of the season with a match at Davidson on Sunday at 1 pm. The match will be NC State’s third consecutive road game. Davidson is already 2-1, with convincing wins over UNC Greensboro and USC Upstate.