The NC State women’s soccer team beat Boston College 3-1 in its final game of the season on Saturday, April 17 at Dail Soccer Stadium. 

The Eagles (3-10-1) took an early lead after coming out of the gates hot, capitalizing on the absences of the Wolfpack’s (5-3-1) defensive general, redshirt junior Lulu Guttenberger, and scoring in the eighth minute.

“We were down some players today, just had a couple knocks so we were low numbers, had to shuffle some things in the lineup and I thought we started a little slow,” said head coach Tim Santoro. “But that was expected considering adjustments with some new people. I thought we came into the game after the first 15 minutes. It was good to score some goals in the second half because we’ve been snake bitten for a few weeks here.”

In addition to Guttenberger, the Pack was also without junior forward Denae Antoine, both of whom are dealing with minor injuries according to Santoro.

Junior midfielder Toni Starova bagged two in the second half and was the closest Wolfpack player to the ball for Boston College’s own goal. Starova started the game on the bench due to a minor injury but came in during the first half and helped push the Wolfpack’s pressing to another level, leading to the second-half goals.

“That’s what she’s good at,” Santoro said. “From that attacking position, adding pressure when we lose the ball. She’s been carrying a knock and we didn’t know if she was going to play today, she felt okay during warmups and wanted to go in, and she had a real impact on the game first half, and obviously in the second half with the goals.”

After the Eagles’ early goal, the Wolfpack started to settle into the game and generate some chances of its own. As the half progressed, the Pack’s attack looked better and better, but despite multiple chances in and around the box, outshooting the visitors 9-4 by halftime, the Pack went into the break down 1-0 to the early goal.

The Pack eventually got its goal in the 55th as Starova picked the ball off a Boston College defender on the edge of the Eagles’ box before blasting the ball into the bottom right corner.

Starova’s takeaway at the top of the Boston College box was just one of many takeaways the Wolfpack generated deep in the final third as the Pack’s press caused Boston College’s defense a lot of problems in the second half.

“When I was subbed in, our coach told us that we need to start pressing more, so that’s what I told my teammates,” Starova said. “We just communicated where everyone needs to go, and go hard when we decide to go, and it was successful today.”

Despite the multiple chances for the Pack, its winning goal came in the 74th minute from an own goal, with an error from Boston College’s keeper. With a pass back to the keeper, she was unable to trap the ball correctly, resulting in an easy roll into the back of the net.

Starova put the game to bed finally in the 87th minute, just minutes after Boston College had a goal called off at the other end of the field. Starova played it wide to freshman defender Cara Elmendorf, who went for the shot, but it was blocked and the rebound fell perfectly to Starova, who blasted it into the back of the net.

Entering the game, the Wolfpack was on a bit of a skid. After starting the season with four wins and a draw in its first five, the Pack lost its next three games 1-0. Despite the late-season skid, the Wolfpack was able to end the season on a positive note.

“It was awesome, we really needed this,” Starova said. “We struggled a little bit with scoring as you said for the last couple games, so we really needed this. It was also great to send off the seniors with a win, so we are super grateful for this. 

The Wolfpack will find out on Monday, April 19 if it made the NCAA Tournament but it is unlikely as the Pack is ranked No. 53 in RPI as of April 16.