History will be made at Dail Soccer Stadium Wednesday night, as the NC State men’s soccer team will host an ACC Tournament matchup in Raleigh for the first time ever.
The Wolfpack (8-4-4, 3-3-2 ACC) has exceeded any preseason expectations, finishing eighth in the ACC in new head coach George Kiefer’s first year in charge of the program. The Pack will host nine seed Virginia Tech (8-8, 3-5 ACC) for the first-round match.
With its eight wins overall and three wins in conference, including two marquee victories over then No. 3 Clemson and No. 5 Louisville, NC State had its most productive regular season since 2013.
The Wolfpack will now be aiming to get its first win in the ACC Tournament since 2011, when the Pack beat Virginia Tech 6-3 in the first round, with both schools holding the same seed that year as they do now.
NC State enters the tournament riding a recent hot streak, as the Pack is unbeaten in its last seven games, which includes the big win over Louisville and a draw against a top-10 Virginia team.
The Hokies, on the other hand, have struggled as of late. Virginia Tech did pick up a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh in its final game of the regular season, but lost the four games prior to that win. During that four-game losing streak, the Hokies were outscored 12-1.
The Wolfpack and Hokies will be meeting for the first time this year Wednesday, and the two teams match up quite evenly. In 16 games, both NC State and Virginia Tech scored 21 goals, an average of 1.31 goals per game. The Pack was more efficient in its goal-scoring abilities, posting a shot percentage of .135 compared to the Hokies’ .118.
While the schools matchup well in the attacking game, NC State holds a clear advantage on the back line. The Wolfpack allowed just 1.01 goals per game this year, led by seven shutouts and a .702 save percentage from freshman goalkeeper Leon Krapf.
Virginia Tech was much worse at keeping the ball out of its own net, allowing a whopping 1.75 goals per game, by far the worst mark in the ACC. Hokies goalie Ben Lundgaard wasn’t the problem, as he led the ACC in saves and had a high save percentage at .757.
However, Lundgaard was the most worked goalie in the league, as Virginia Tech allowed opponents to get 241 shots on goal this year, an average of over 15 per game, compared to the 8.4 shots NC State allowed per game.
Getting shots on goal will be key for the Wolfpack, and this will start up top with freshman forward Manny Perez, redshirt junior forward Ade Taiwo and junior forward Clayton Sparks. Perez has experienced a breakout year with the Wolfpack, and the freshman leads the team with five goals and 14 points.
Perez plays on the right wing, with Taiwo and Sparks playing up the middle. Taiwo has two goals and four assists on the year, while Sparks has found the back of the net three times. Junior Tanner Roberts started the year out hot for the Wolfpack at striker, tallying four goals in eight games, but has not played since Oct. 13 due to a leg injury.
Taiwo, Sparks and Perez will need to carry the load up front for the Pack, but are not the only goal-scoring threats State has to offer. Senior midfielder Julius Duchscherer has scored four goals this season while missing significant time with injury, and freshman midfielder David Loera has helped to facilitate the attack with a team-leading five assists.
There is one clear weapon in the attack that State must try to limit for Virginia Tech. Forward Marcelo Acuna has found the back of the net 11 times for the Hokies in 2017, and leads the ACC in goals.
Aside from Acuna, midfielders Collin Verfurth and Kristo Strickler both have three goals apiece, and defender Elias Tamburini has been the Hokies best set-up man, with four assists.
NC State has not made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2009, but already has the resume this year to contend for a spot. A deep run in the ACC Tournament, starting with a very winnable game against Virginia Tech, would help to solidify an appearance in the big dance for a revitalized Wolfpack team.
