Six games into the season, NC State women’s soccer continues to flounder, suffering a non-competitive 3-0 loss at Utah.
The Wolfpack (0-5-1) once again struggled to find offense, failing to score for the fourth time this season. Meanwhile, the Utes (3-1-1) came out firing on all cylinders in a dominant performance. Attacking from the opening minutes, Utah controlled all aspects of the game for 90 minutes, showing no mercy to NC State.
After missing on a pair of prime opportunities in the match’s first few minutes, Utah broke through with its first goal ten minutes into the game. Utah’s Lilliah Blum earned a wide open shot and buried it into the right-corner of the goal, giving Utah a 1-0 lead.
Neither team scored for the rest of the first half, but the momentum continued to trend in Utah’s direction. The Utes got off 12 total shots in the half, while holding NC State to just two attempts. Unable to even get close to the goal, NC State’s chances of tying things up were always slim.
Following halftime, the Utes broke the game open with a pair of goals in the second half. With goals scored in the 73rd and 78th minutes by Utah, the Pack found itself in a hole too deep to climb out of. With the clock winding down, NC State never found itself and remained winless.
The biggest issue all season for NC State has been a lack of scoring. Averaging just 0.5 goals per game, the Pack has consistently failed to threaten opposing defenses. Additionally, suffering four shutouts, NC State often fails to even give itself a shot at a win, including in this one against Utah.
First year head coach Gary Higgins’ initial squad is off to an extremely rocky start. The Pack has just two non-conference games left, facing Elon and Campbell. Afterwards, the red-and-white will enter ACC competition — which will only bring tougher challenges.
Next up, NC State will face Elon on Thursday September 4 in another road matchup. The Phoenix will be a challenging matchup for NC State, as Elon holds a 4-0-1 record, posting a shutout in four of their five games. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. with coverage available on FloCollege.
