In a fast-paced match in front of a packed crowd at Dail Soccer Stadium Friday night, the NC State men’s soccer team got its 2018 campaign off to a great start, beating USC Upstate 3-1.
The Wolfpack (1-0) pressed the Spartans (0-1) all game, controlling possession and looking comfortable on the ball throughout. The Pack tallied first in the seventh minute, on an impressive goal by freshman forward Ivy Brisma, and took a 2-0 lead into the half after a clean finish from junior super sub Tyler Gabarra.
“I thought that was good for us,” head coach George Kiefer said. “The team can carry over with the movements and guys getting to the back post, restart goal. I thought overall it was good. Was a good night in front of goal”
The Spartans’ Solomon Constant scored Upstate’s only goal, a scorching curler from outside the box. The Pack put the game to bed in the 74th minute on a stunning free kick from sophomore midfielder Brad Sweeney.
Brisma started his college career off in style, netting his first career goal in the seventh minute with an impressive individual effort. Sophomore midfielder David Loera fed Brisma outside the box, and Brisma fought through defenders before putting his own rebound into the back of the net to put the Pack up 1-0.
“It felt amazing,” Brisma said. “I was talking to (Sweeney) and (redshirt senior Ade Taiwo) and all the older guys, and they were like ‘Ivy, you’re scoring today.’ I’m just going in and scoring it. It felt amazing that I told them I was going to score, and try my best to score for them, and I did. The way everyone reacted. The energy in the stadium was amazing. It was just a great feeling.”
The Pack continued to bring pressure high up the field early on. Sophomore winger Manny Perez, who was the ACC Freshman of the Year last season and has garnered a number of preseason accolades this year, showed a flash of brilliance on the sideline to earn a 15th-minute corner kick.
Perez dribbled between two defenders, before launching a cross into the box that was knocked over the bar by the Upstate goalkeeper. On the ensuing corner, sophomore defender David Norris got his head to the ball and directed back across the 6-yard box, but nothing came of the opportunity.
Junior midfielder Tyler Gabarra subbed on for the Pack in the 32nd minute, and immediately made his presence felt with his second-career goal coming just 51 seconds after he came on. Perez again sparked the action, beating his man on the wing and threading a low-driven ball into the box right to the foot of Gabarra, who calmly slotted it away.
“I thought he was one of our best players,” Kiefer said. “Both without the ball very good and then on the ball getting to the back post, calm on the finish. It’s excellent to have those sorts of people to come off the bench. And I think there’s more guys that in a week or two you start to trust more guys. I think the depth of the team is very good.”
The Spartans brought some pressure towards the end of the half, with forward Javier Torres being denied an impressive strike by an even better save from Krapf. At the half, NC State held a 2-0 lead with a 6-3 advantage in shots and most of the possession.
“The first half, I thought it was great,” Sweeney said. “High tempo and we finished our chances, which last year we struggled with. We went in 2-0. Even when we went 2-1 up, we dealt with it well and we managed it well. Luckily we got the third goal and saw the game out.”
USC Upstate cut the NC State lead in half early into the second half, as Constant rifled his first-career goal from outside of the box to make it 2-1. Constant took a light touch to set himself up, and unloaded on a curler that bounced in off the post and Krapf had no chance of getting a hand to.
The Wolfpack got its lead back up to two goals with an absolutely incredible goal off the foot of sophomore midfielder Brad Sweeney, the first of his career. The Pack earned a free kick beside the box near the touch line, and with a tight angle on the goal Sweeney elected to shoot rather than cross.
Sweeney perfectly placed his powerful shot into the corner of the net, beating Spartan goalkeeper CJ Cluck to put the Pack up 3-1. His inspiration for the goal came from one of the world’s greatest players.
“We’ve been working on it in practice, in training,” Sweeney said. “I remember watching Toni Kroos’ goal at the World Cup. I have to give credit to (assistant coach) Kyle Nichols, because when we won the foul he was like ‘go for it.’ Luckily it just came off.”
The Pack finished strong to hold on to a 3-1 win, marking the second straight year it has won its opener. NC State will now head north for a much harder challenge this week, as the Wolfpack has a Monday meeting with No. 4 Akron.
Junior midfielder Tyler Gabarra celebrates with senior forward Cjay Sparks after Gabarra scores a goal in the 31st minute in the game versus USC Upstate on Friday at Dail Soccer Field. The Wolfpack beat the Spartans 3-1.
