Through four matches in this young 2022 season, the Pack men’s soccer team currently sits at 2-1-1 after tying with Mercer University and losing its ACC opener on the road against Wake Forest.
Let’s take a look at a few key takeaways from the first four games this season:
The Conor Kelly Show
If there’s one name to know on this Wolfpack men’s soccer team this year, it would definitely have to be graduate midfielder Conor Kelly.
Named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week back on Sept. 6, the Duke transfer already has five goals in four games, including a hat trick in the matchup against Wofford earlier in 2022.
Kelly made his presence known quickly on the pitch for the Pack, picking up his first goal in the 77th minute of NC State’s season opener against Loyola Maryland.
He was also the lone member of the Wolfpack to find the back of the net on the road against Mercer, scoring in just the second minute, in what would eventually end as a 1-1 tie to the Bears.
After finishing his final season at Duke with just one goal and one assist, Kelly seems to have found his sweet spot here with the Pack and will be an important part of the offense moving forward.
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While Kelly may be the top goal scorer so far, seven other NC State players have combined for eight assists already this season. Sophomore forward Luke Hille leads the team with two assists while six more of his teammates have one each to their name.
Also of interesting note is that half of those six are newcomers to the Pack this season. Freshman midfielders Drew Lovelace and Calem Tommy are both in their first year in Raleigh, while junior forward Junior Nare is a transfer from La Salle.
Nare and Tommy are the only other members of the team to have scored a goal this season as well.
Though it’s exciting to see all of these young and new players making impacts this early in this season, it’s important to remember this group is fairly new to playing with each other, and there’s sure to be a few bumps in the road as the season continues.
In the net
With the loss of Leon Krapf this past offseason, it seems as if the Pack has turned towards sophomore Lucas Hatsios and senior Windham Ellis as its goalkeepers this year.
Hatsios has gotten the start in three out of the four Pack’s matchups so far, including its lone ACC opponent, Wake Forest.
The team as a whole struggled on the road against the Demon Deacons, including Hatsios who let up two goals on six shots in the 2-0 loss.
Ellis was in the net against Wofford, and recorded saves on both shots he faced. This was his first career start with the Pack despite being a senior.
It’ll be interesting to see who the Pack leans on moving forward, as Hatsios was called upon early in ACC play but Ellis enters in with more college experience.
At home vs on the road
This early on, it’s hard to analyze how the Pack has played against nonconference opponents versus its ACC competition, but what can be discussed is how it’s performed at Dail Soccer Field versus on the road.
NC State began the season with two straight home matches and outscored its opponents 6-0.
On the road four days later at a neutral site in Virginia against Mercer, the team struggled to put up goals after the second minute of play, and tied with Mercer 1-1.
As mentioned above, the Wolfpack opened ACC action on the road against the powerhouse that is Wake Forest; throughout all 90 minutes NC State couldn’t find the back of the net, eventually falling 2-0.
If the Pack is destined to struggle on the road the rest of the year, not all hope is lost as it only plays four more road matches in the regular season as compared to seven more at home.
Up next, NC State is scheduled to return to Raleigh and host another nonconference opponent, James Madison University, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. in a nationally televised event on the ACC network.
