The Pack will travel to Durham Friday for the Duke Nike Classic. Over the weekend, it will take on Sacramento State on Friday and Louisville on Sunday. State dropped its first exhibition game against Davidson, but bounced back to defeat High Point and bring its record to 1-1.

Sacramento State is also sporting a 1-1 record in its first two games. The Hornets went 14-4-2 and lost to UCLA in the NCAA tournament last year. Coach George Tarantini said Sacramento State is a very talented team that should not be taken lightly.

“We are excited to play this weekend. The men have worked very hard for this season to start,” Tarantini said. “The Hornets are a very talented and quick team who will be coming to the Triangle looking to win. The Duke Tournament is a great showcase for what we will do the rest of the year, and we feel very optimistic about our possibilities.”

The Pack will then take on the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday. They have yet to compete in regular season competition for the 2010 season, but have gone 2-1-1 in exhibition contests against Lipscomb, Saint Louis, and Penn State and are ranked No. 20 in the NCSAA poll. Last season Louisville posted a record of 13-2-4 before falling to Indiana in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Senior midfielder Chris Zuerner said this tournament will be very exciting on the field and added that a high level of fan support over the weekend will also be essential.

“The Duke Tournament is a special event, and I hope that in general there will be more fans, not just from N.C. State, but also Triangle fans hopefully coming out to see a good game,” Zuerner said. “It’s a great game and to see it played at a high level is such a privilege. We hope we can bring that to the field this weekend.”