NC State men’s soccer closed the season with a draw against Syracuse after allowing a late goal in the 80th minute that tied the match, solidifying the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
A rough, back-and-forth 90 minutes saw a total of 23 fouls and momentum changes from both teams. NC State men’s soccer (11-4-1, 4-1-3 ACC) settled for a 1-1 draw against the Syracuse Orange (7-6-3, 4-3-1 ACC). Each side finally got its feet under it in the second half, both tallying a goal in the final 45 minutes.
With the physical play, a penalty kick was bound to be drawn eventually. Within the first minute of the second half, the Pack got its chance. Senior midfielder Drew Lovelace stepped up to the line and sank one in the back of the net past Syracuse goaltender Tomas Hut. The Pack could’ve used this goal as a momentum swing in its favor, but weren’t able to get another one on the board.
Knowing it had to capitalize soon if it wanted a fair chance at staying in the match, Syracuse waited almost 80 minutes to get on the board. Utilizing his speed and footwork, Syracuse midfielder Sachiel Ming performed a perfect spin around the defense, letting off a left-footed shot into the back of the net — just the fourth goal the Wolfpack has allowed all season.
The Orange had to put its all into this performance, playing short-handed yet again. With many players out due to injury, and one due to a suspension, there were big shoes left to fill. That’s exactly what it did, securing a draw with a much higher-ranked opponent.
Even though the Pack had three times the number of shots as its opponent and only allowed two shots on goal, the scoreboard still read 1-1 after 90 minutes. The team stayed calm and played its style of game, not letting the physicality and four yellow cards from the other team throw it off.
The Pack had a very successful season, ranking high on the leaderboard for many weeks, peaking at No. 1. It found its style of play and has stuck to it since the beginning of the season. Knowing the challenges it’s about to face in the ACC tournament, it is constantly putting in the time and work in hopes of bringing home a title.
NC State will host its first ACC Tournament game of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. against Louisville.
