The No. 20 NC State women’s soccer team pulled off a second-half comeback against Wake Forest on Sunday, Sept. 18. The Wolfpack scored two clutch goals in the final 15 minutes of the game to beat the Demon Deacons 2-1 in its ACC opener.
NC State (6-1-3, 1-0 ACC) struggled to see its offensive efforts pay off in the first half, but after Wake Forest (6-1-2, 0-1 ACC) led 1-0 at the half, the Wolfpack stormed back in the second period. Offensive persistence from the red-and-white led to a goal from senior forward Alexis Strickland in the 78th minute to tie the match.
“We played our style of play and we locked them down defensively,” Strickland said. “We were amazing and we just hustled out there. We worked hard, and we had an amazing comeback.”
Just six minutes later, senior forward Jameese Joseph played hero once again as she scored her third game-winning goal of the season and fifth goal overall to give the Pack the 2-1 lead.
Joseph continues to be the heartbeat of the Wolfpack’s offense. The senior consistently uses her fancy footwork, speed and flashy quick-turn ability to rapidly advance the ball into opposing territory, and she worked her magic when the Pack needed it most at the end of the match. Tied 1-1, Joseph slipped by opposing defenders and sent the go-ahead goal past Wake Forest’s keeper in the 84th minute.
Determination and perseverance was the key to the Wolfpack’s victory against Wake Forest. After a first half full of chances that fell just short, NC State overcame some stout defense and a 1-0 deficit in the final 45 minutes. Strickland played a crucial role in the Pack’s surge, leading the team with four shots and the equalizing goal.
“We realized there’s 45 minutes left and that we are an amazing team,” Strickland said. “We know we can outwork them, so we did that. We hustled, we defended and played our style of play and made the comeback.”
Strickland’s goal was engineered by a series of well-connected passes by the Wolfpack offense. After the squad strung together passes in the attacking third, senior forward Leyah-Hall Robinson crossed the ball into the box and found Strickland, who slotted the ball away for the goal.
The NC State defense played its part in the win as well. Junior goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta logged another impressive day in goal, recording three saves behind a hard-working defense that staved off the Demon Deacons for a majority of the game. Wake Forest did manage to find the net in the first half, however, when a high-arcing header got past Echezarreta bounced into the goal.
After Wake Forest’s goal, NC State had multiple scoring opportunities due to controlling possession for the majority of the game. The Wolfpack’s pressure finally paid off not once, but twice late in the match as NC State captured its first conference win.
“It was a typical ACC game,” said head coach Tim Santoro. “I thought we were pretty consistent throughout the game. I thought at halftime we were probably going to get one. I didn’t know if we were going to have time to get a second one, but I liked that we stayed consistent with what we were doing.”
In an extremely competitive conference, ACC wins aren’t easy to come by. With more than enough experienced and talented teams ahead, NC State will need to bring the intensity and clutch it displayed against the Demon Deacons to the rest of the opponents on its schedule.
“The ACC is going to be tough,” Strickland said. “There’s amazing teams, teams that have very deep rosters, so it’s going to be hard for us defensively, but we can do it. The future’s bright for us.”
The Wolfpack is set to face Virginia Tech on Thursday, Sept. 22. Kickoff against the Hokies at Dail Soccer Field is set for 7 p.m.
