After beating Syracuse 2-1 on the road last weekend to pick up its second ACC win of the year, the NC State men’s soccer team will host No. 10 Virginia on Friday, looking to win back-to-back regular season ACC matches for the first time since 2009.
The Wolfpack (6-4-2, 2-3-0 ACC) will also be looking to win three ACC games in a season for the first time since 2013 and for its first win over the Cavaliers (9-1-2, 2-1-2 ACC) since 2010.
It won’t come easy for the Pack against the 10th-ranked team in the nation, but that is something State has grown used to. It will mark the fifth time in six ACC matches the Pack will be faced with the challenge of playing a top-10 team. State is 1-3 in those games, with the lone win coming against No. 3 Clemson in the ACC opener.
The Pack’s biggest challenge Friday will be trying to get the ball into the net against a stingy Cavaliers defense. Virginia is allowing just over one goal per game, at 1.08, and is holding opponents to only 3.8 shots on goal per game.
Goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell has played every minute for the Cavaliers, and has 33 saves compared to just 13 goals allowed. Caldwell has also collected three shutouts on the year, and has a save percentage of .717.
If State wants to find success in the attacking zone, it will need the good form of senior midfielder Julius Duchscherer and junior forward Tanner Roberts to continue. Duchscherer and Roberts have both missed games with injuries this season, but are back playing and currently share the team lead with four goals apiece.
Senior forward Ade Taiwo should also be looked to in this game to help provide a spark up front. Taiwo has made his way back from a lengthy knee injury that he sustained last season, but has looked more healthy and potent in recent games, including tallying his first goal of the season against Belmont on Oct. 3.
On the other side of the ball, Pack freshman goalie Leon Krapf and the rest of the State defense will have their hands full stopping the Cavaliers attack. Virginia is averaging 2.17 goals and 13.2 shots per game, led by a dangerous trio of goal scorers.
Forward Edward Opoku leads the Cavaliers with seven goals on the year, followed closely by defenseman Sergi Nus and midfielder Pablo Aguilar who have six and five goals, respectively, to add to Opoku’s total. Opoku and Aguilar, along with midfielder Jean-Christophe Koffi, also lead the team with three assists.
Defensively for State, Krapf has been solid in goal all season. The freshman from Germany has played every minute for the Wolfpack, and has posted an ACC-leading five shutouts. However, Krapf and the State back line have been susceptible to bad performances, allowing three or more goals on three occasions.
It will prove to be another tough test for the Wolfpack this weekend, but a test NC State is more than capable of winning. If the Pack wants to show that it can be a competitive force in the ACC this season, beating Virginia and linking together conference wins would be a step in the right direction.
