A record-breaking crowd at Dail Soccer Field poured onto the pitch in celebration Friday night, as the NC State men’s soccer team toppled No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill 1-0 behind a stunning goal from sophomore midfielder David Loera.
It was the Pack’s (8-3-2, 2-3-1 ACC) first win over the Tar Heels (9-2-1, 4-1-0 ACC) since 2013, and the first in Raleigh since 1997. Despite being outshot 18-2 in the match, the Wolfpack held on to beat its archrival thanks to the 53rd-minute wonder goal from Loera.
“We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a battle, a dog fight,” Loera said. “We just stuck to the game plan and played how we know how to play, and at the end of the day came out with the result. The fans helped tremendously there. It was a great atmosphere. It was beautiful.”
The Wolfpack also got quite the performance from sophomore goalkeeper Leon Krapf, who made a handful of spectacular saves to preserve the NC State victory. Krapf was credited with five saves, two of which came in the waning minutes of the game.
“It felt like we won a Super Bowl here,” Krapf said. “It’s crazy. Ten minutes after the game it’s hard to put into words, but yeah we are just happy with the result. It was a great team as a whole, a great match for the whole team.”
Loera broke the scoreless draw with an absolutely stunning individual effort just a few minutes into the second half. Loera picked the ball up in the Pack’s defensive half surrounded by three UNC defenders and somehow dribbled his way into space.
“It was something amazing,” Loera said. “I picked it up and then I was just like, ‘I’m quicker than these guys.’ I just started dribbling and, you know, didn’t even think about it. I just kept on going, kept running with the ball and it slipped through, and I got the opportunity to go one v. one with the keeper.”
He followed that with a beautiful run, splitting through about half of the Tar Heels defenders into the attacking zone. Loera briefly lost the ball right outside the 18-yard box, but quickly got it back for a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper James Pyle. Loera finished his fantastic run with a smooth low finish into the back of the net for the Pack’s game-winning goal.
“David is excellent,” head coach George Kiefer said. “I thought he had some moments tonight where they couldn’t move with him. His finish was really good.”
The win over the Tar Heels came in front of a crowd of 3,229 people, a new record for Dail Soccer Field. The crowd was loud and rowdy throughout the game, and couldn’t hold back after the final whistle blew. A sea of red poured onto the field, celebrating with the NC State players.
“I’ve said it all along, from a crowd perspective and student support, it’s one of the most exciting places to play in the ACC,” Kiefer said. “Watch the excitement. Watch the fans. Some people might have stadiums that look a little nicer, but the people at NC State, the students, the excitement. You don’t see that in this league. It’s phenomenal for us.”
For NC State, it wasn’t just a win over a big rival; it was also a win over the No. 1 team in the nation. Under Kiefer, the Wolfpack now has four wins over top-five teams, but this is the first over No. 1.
“Obviously UNC is an outstanding team,” Krapf said. “It’s obvious that you face some shots against a team like this, but I think tonight the key was just the support of the crowd, and the belief in each other. We know we aren’t afraid of mistakes, because we know we had a guy behind us that’s going to make up for it, and it was just a team effort.”
The Wolfpack is back in action in Wilmington on Tuesday against UNC-W, and there is confidence building in the team heading into the match.
“We’re back man, NC State is back in the ACC. We’re a top team,” Loera said.
