No. 10 NC State earns all three points in 1-0 win versus Clemson

Just five days after suffering its first ranked loss of the season, No. 10 NC State men’s soccer bounced back in front of a packed Dail Soccer Stadium as it cruised past Clemson in a 1-0 win.

“This is a must-win given the standings,” said head coach Marc Hubbard. “It’s a chance to put things in our destiny for ACC seedings, and we need to get a win, especially at home.”

The Wolfpack was tested, and it delivered.

NC State (9-1-2, 2-1-1 ACC) applied a seemingly constant pressure on Clemson (6-3-2, 3-1-1 ACC) throughout the game, whether it was on offense or defense. The Wolfpack forced 14 fouls and only allowed one shot on goal, which senior goalkeeper Logan Erb saved for his 10th clean sheet in 12 games this season.

Despite losing 6th-year forward Ibrahim Conde to a non-contact injury 16 minutes into the game, the Wolfpack had a major offensive outing against the Tigers as they produced 14 shots and created chances from all over the field in open play as well as in set pieces.

Out of these 14 shots, the one that made the difference came from a long throw-in in Clemson’s box. A loose ball landed in front of sophomore forward Frankie DeFrancesco, who powered it in for his first goal as a member of the Wolfpack and put his team ahead after 53 minutes of play.

The Tigers came back with two quick strikes, but they weren’t good enough to worry the Wolfpack and help shift the momentum. The rest of the game was marked by strong and poised possession for NC State, who kept applying pressure to erase any doubt on the outcome of the game, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The game eventually ended in a 1-0 win in favor of the Wolfpack as it earned its 7th win at home this season and climbed to 6th in the ACC rankings.

NC State will travel to South Bend, Indiana, for another ACC matchup against Notre Dame (7-2-4, 2-1-2 ACC) on Friday, Oct. 17.