Five games into its season, the NC State men’s soccer team has suffered an 0-5 start (0-4 in ACC play), securing a losing regular season with only two games remaining.
Despite what the record shows, this Wolfpack team showed a lot of promise in its 1-0 loss to No. 3 Clemson. Here are some takeaways from that game and others that can be applied to the rest of the regular season to improve upon the foundation that head coach George Kiefer has laid out.
Turning possession into pressure
As was true earlier in the season, this Wolfpack team has struggled to turn its possession into scoring opportunities. Opponents of the Wolfpack, however, do not seem to struggle in finding these opportunities as NC State’s team has been outshot in all but one game this season.
Allowing its opponents to keep the pressure on redshirt junior goalkeeper Leon Krapf is not a key to success for this Wolfpack team. While Krapf has done quite the job so far of establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with between the posts, the team cannot rely on him to make a save every time.
The Pack has managed just 14 shots on target this season, while its opponents have racked up 25. Krapf is very good, but the offense needs to help him out at the other end.
Krapf’s stunning play
Quite possibly the biggest bright spot for this team has to be the play of previously mentioned Krapf. Coming off a game where he posted a career high in saves, with seven against No. 3 Clemson, Krapf has been this team’s rock on the back line.
With 14 saves so far this season, Krapf is currently tied for fourth place in the ACC with Notre Dame keeper Keagan McLaughlin and Virginia keeper Colin Shutler. It is no question that some positives that are coming out of this season revolve around Krapf’s solid play thus far, but it isn’t possible for him to do it all himself. With NC State under pressure for the majority of playing time, it has been no light task for Krapf to keep the ball out of the back of the net. Krapf and McLaughlin of Notre Dame are also tied for fourth in saves per game with 2.80, a stat that proves that Krapf has to be relied upon more than the team would probably like.
A growth mentality
It would be easy for this Wolfpack team to call it quits on the season, playing out its last few games for the sake of formality. This isn’t going to be the case, however, as described by coach Kiefer in a postage interview following the loss to Clemson.
“Yeah, I’m not happy with the record, but I tell you what… when we come back in the spring having gone through all these battles, I think that will make us a lot better off,” Kiefer said.
For the head coach of an 0-5 program to have that confidence in the squad going forward has to speak volumes to the bond this team has and how they approach the sport. The record they currently hold could easily deflate the confidence of this NC State team, but with reassurance towards the process from Kiefer, the Pack can be hopeful for the future.
The future for this team could begin as early as Sunday Nov. 1, when the Wolfpack face off against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill at 1 p.m. The only other time these teams have met so far this season was an exhibition match where UNC prevailed 1-0 on its home turf. This game will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra and on the WatchESPN app. Make sure to follow @TechSports on Twitter to keep up to date with all NC State sports.
