The NC State men’s soccer team will hit the road for an away ACC Atlantic divisional matchup Friday at 7:30 p.m. against No. 17 Louisville. This will be the Wolfpack’s third conference game of the year, as it will be looking to rebound off a tough 2-1 loss away from home against No. 5 Virginia.
The Cardinals (3-1-2, 1-0-1 ACC) are coming off a huge 2-1 win over No. 17 Virginia Tech, and will have to deal with No. 2 Georgetown in a nonconference matchup before their battle with the Wolfpack (4-2-1, 1-1-0 ACC).
The two teams met last year in Raleigh one time and played to a 2-2 draw. After a great match that saw the Cardinals equalize with a few minutes left in regulation, there was an altercation between the two teams that had to be separated by coaches and officials. These two teams certainly have no love lost, so expect to see a physical game Friday night.
So far this season, NC State has had a great spread of scoring, with four players tied with two goals to lead the team: junior defender Jamie Smith, junior midfielder David Loera, sophomore forward Kuda Muskwe, and freshman defender Pablo Pedregosa.
Sophomore forward Ivy Brisma also has been a key player for NC State on the right wing, taking on defenders and causing havoc for opposing defenses.
NC State has done well so far this season with corner kicks and set pieces, so look for the Wolfpack to try and take its chances with set pieces on the road in Louisville to steal a goal or two.
To go along with his two goals, Smith also has tallied three assists, which leads the team. Smith has also done a phenomenal job leading the defense all year, and is one of the first names on head coach George Kiefer’s team sheet.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Vinnie Durand, who has come in for the injured junior Leon Krapf, has looked sound in his time as the temporary number one. In five starts, he has helped keep two clean sheets and only allowed .80 goals per game.
The Wolfpack defense will need to keep a close eye on Cherif Dieye of the Cardinals, as the midfielder has exploded for four goals so far this season. Louka Mousset, similar to Smith of the Wolfpack, is a defender but also a scoring threat, as he has bagged two goals and one assist in six games played.
This a big game the Wolfpack will look to try and win on the road Friday night. A win here would give the team a huge confidence boost, as its next two ACC matchups after Louisville are against No. 21 Notre Dame and No. 7 Wake Forest.
