After earning a first round bye due to its performance in the ACC tournament last week, the No. 13 men’s soccer team fell to the Portland Pilots, 2-1, Sunday at Dail Soccer Field, ending its season.
This marks the second time State has faced Portland. The Pilots defeated the Wolfpack, 2-0, at the MetLife Classic in 1989.
The home field advantage wasn’t enough, as the Pilots senior Drew Chrostek scored the first goal a minute into the first half. According to redshirt senior forward Ronnie Bouemboue, the team came out sleeping.
“This is the NCAA and we had to come out straight from the beginning and play hard,” Bouemboue said. “They caught us sleeping, got an opportunity and put it away.”
The Pack tied the game in the second half with a goal from junior midfielder Akil DeFreitas, assisted by senior midfielder Chrystel Bakong. But the Pilots took the lead for good at the 62:07 mark with a goal from junior forward Ryan Luke.
Each team had a player receive a yellow card in different stages of the game. State ended the game with 10 fouls while Portland had 14.
DeFreitas said the game was a physical battle.
“It was a tough game,” DeFreitas said. “I think we could have done better in the physical battle but at the end of the day it’s a game. Whoever wins, wins.”
The Wolfpack had a number of opportunities to put more goals on the board, but time expired for the game and the season. Portland will move on to the round of 16 and take on ACC champion Virginia next Sunday.
State ends its season with 13 wins, seven losses and two ties and moved to an all-time record of 5-12-2 in the NCAA tournament.
Coach George Tarantini said goals are what makes the game and Portland did what it had to do to win and advance.
“They scored two goals, they won the game,” Tarantini said. “We tried everything we could. We moved everything around, we took 16 shots, but the game goes that way.”
Tarantini said the team played hard and just needed to put goals into the net, but overall, he is proud of his team.
“I think we had a wonderful season,” Tarantini said. “I’m very proud of my guys. Whether we lose or win, we have to show class and be good hosts. N.C. State is very proud of this season.”
The team will lose nine seniors including Bouemboue, a Senior Lowe finalist and second team all-conference player. Bouemboue said this season had been outstanding for the team.
“We turned a lot of heads this year around the country,” Bouemboue said. “We’re a team that wasn’t given anything these last four years and to end on a high note and make a good run into the ACC tournament and make the NCAA tournament – I’m proud of our guys.”
