As the Pack travels to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va ., State not only has its eyes on playing spoiler to the Hoos’ senior night festivities, but also to maintain its No. 8 position in the ACC and make it to the conference tournament.
State is coming off of an overtime loss to UNC in Chapel Hill off a Billy Schuler goal.
“I think we’ll rebound strong,” coach Kelly Findley said. “I’m expecting us to come out and play very well.”
Virginia will also attempt to bounce back from a loss it took at the hands of the No. 13 Boston College Eagles in a 2-1 match. As a result of that loss, the Cavaliers dropped out of the national top 25 rankings, which they were placed at No. 25 last week.
Virginia currently holds the No. 6 spot in the ACC with 10 points and a 10-6-1 record, but the Cavs are currently first in the ACC in shutouts on the season with three.
State does not have any shutouts over conference opponents this season.
Hoos’ goalkeeper Spencer LaCitiva leads this charge, placing No. 6 in the conference in saves percentage and third in goals allowed.
With that noted, the Pack will need to stay aggressive on the offensive end as they have all season. State is tied for fourth in goals per game in the conference and holds the fourth spot alone for points in the conference.
Sophomore forward Nazmi Albadawi will again be a key player in this matchup. Albadawi is currently fifth in the conference in shots and is tied for second with Maryland’s John Stertzer in overall points this season with 12 off six goals.
“He’s made himself a great athlete and he’s doing a great job playing for our team,” Findley said. “I think he’s motivated.”
Another sophomore forward, Nader Jaibat could also have an impact on a pivotal game in the Pack’s season. He scored his first goal of the season, which was game-tying, in the last match against Chapel Hill. This breakthrough could provide a boost of confidence for both himself and State’s front line.
Even though the Cavs haven’t put up staggering numbers offensively, junior Will Bates has carried the load for the Hoos . Bates has scored 14 goals and dished out four assists this season, which is tied with sophomore forward Brian Span for first on the team.
On senior night, the spotlight will be the brightest for the leaving class. Virginia senior defender Mike Volk ranks first on the team in minutes with 1,356 on the season. Another senior defender, Greg Monaco, ranks fifth on the team in minutes and mid-fielder Felipe Libreros holds the same spot in total points.
State and Virginia Tech will also be watching each other closely tomorrow night. Tech also has a match against Clemson in Blacksburg on the same night. If the Hokies win its match and N.C . State ties against Virginia, it could create a tiebreaker situation.
