In what is arguably its toughest and most pivotal matchup of the season, the NC State men’s soccer team will face No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill Friday at Dail Soccer Stadium.
The Wolfpack owns an overall record of 7-3-2 but has gone just 1-3-1 in conference after a four-match winless streak prior to cruising past Longwood 2-0 Tuesday.
To the Pack’s credit, the lone conference win did come after a 10-day layoff, due to Hurricane Florence, against a formidable Virginia Tech squad that was ranked No. 14 at the time. The team also played to a draw against then-No. 6 Louisville during the four-match winless stretch.
The winless streak did cause the Pack to fall out of the polls, though it is still receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
The Tar Heels have turned in another stellar season thus far, going 9-1-1 overall with perfect ACC record of 4-0-0 while accumulating impressive wins against UNC-Wilmington and Notre Dame. The team’s only loss came at the hands of Indiana, which currently sits at No. 4 in the polls.
Like the Wolfpack, the Heels traveled to a Virginia school for a match Tuesday night, but only managed to draw Old Dominion 1-1, ending a streak of eight straight wins.
NC State will continue to depend on the play of sophomore goalkeeper Leon Krapf. The Germany native has recorded five shutouts and 35 saves and ranks fourth in the ACC with a 0.87 goals against average.
In goal for UNC-CH is James Pyle, who has had a fine year of his own, notching four shutouts and a 0.76 goals against average.
Junior midfielder Gabriel Machado hasn’t put a ball in the back of the net for the Wolfpack since playing Louisville on September 28, but his presence will be needed if NC State is to pull the upset. In his first year with the team after transferring from Monroe College, Machado has proved to be a valuable addition, leading the team with 10 points and four goals.
The Heels will depend on Nils Bruening and Giovanni Montesdeoca, who have 13 and 12 points this season, respectively. Both players have been standouts on the team, adding five goals apiece.
If NC State was to come away with the upset, it would be the first win over the rival Tar Heels since 2013, as UNC has taken the past two matches in 2014 and 2017. The Wolfpack owns a record of 21-52-12 all-time against the Heels.
A win would be incredibly beneficial for NC State’s NCAA Tournament hopes and for its place in the ACC standings with just three regular season games remaining.
The match is set for 7 p.m. Friday night at Dail Soccer Stadium and can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
