The NC State men’s soccer team fell to UVa 1-0 Wednesday in Charlottesville, Virginia during the first round of the ACC Tournament. With the loss, the Pack was eliminated from the tournament as the Cavaliers move on to face Louisville in the next round.
The loss drops State to 5-12 (1-8 ACC) for the season and is likely the last game the Wolfpack will play in this year, as the team is unlikely to be selected for the NCAA Tournament. State’s one conference win marks the second year in a row that the team was only able to capture a single ACC victory.
The Pack put pressure on Virginia early in the game, tallying six shots in the first 30 minutes of play compared to just three from the Cavaliers. State also won two corner-kicks early, but failed to convert on its chances.
Virginia answered the pressure from State with three more shots in the final 10 minutes of the first half. The Cavaliers also took three corner kicks in the closing stages of the half, but like the Wolfpack failed to convert on any chances they had.
The first half came to a close with the game still tied at zero. The two teams both had opportunities to break through for the opening goal, but neither converted well on the chances they created. The half also saw very physical play from the Wolfpack as the team committed eight fouls in the opening 45 minutes.
Virginia nearly opened up the scoring in the 52nd minute with a close attempt on goal by Marcus Salandy-Defour. A beautiful cross was placed into the head of Salandy-Defour at the top of the six-yard box, but his header went well over the crossbar without troubling Wolfpack goalkeeper, senior Alex McCauley.
The next 30 minutes of the game saw little action, as the two teams exchanged possession without much real threat on goal. The teams combined for just four shots during this period, with none of them giving either goalkeeper much trouble.
Virginia found the back of the net in the 82nd to take a 1-0 lead late in the game. A shot from Sheldon Sullivan was initially saved by McCauley, but he was not able to control it. The ball got away from a scrambling McCauley and found the feet of Pablo Aguilar at the top of the box, who shot it into the back of the net. Sullivan was credited with an assist on the play.
State pushed to find an equalizer after the late goal. The Pack took four shots in the last eight minutes of the game, including a corner-kick. However, State did not capitalize on these opportunities as the game ended in a 1-0 defeat.
The Wolfpack continued a trend of outshooting their opponents in the defeat, as they took 13 shots compared to the eight from the Cavaliers. However, the Pack’s inability to finish chances led to another loss. The team did fight to the end of the game and the season, but they couldn’t overcome the Cavaliers.
