By the narrowest of margins, the NC State men’s soccer team squeaked into the ACC tournament after the Syracuse Orange knocked Boston College out of contention with a 2-1 win on Friday.
Now the Wolfpack (7-6-4, 1-4-3 ACC), ranked No. 10, travels to Durham to take on No. 7 ranked Duke (8-8-1, 4-4-0 ACC) in the play-in match on Wednesday. The winner gets a date with No. 2 Syracuse (14-2-1, 5-2-1 ACC).
Here are five things the Wolfpack must keep in mind to get past the Blue Devils:
Press the issue from the beginning — Duke is a team that concedes goals early, having been outscored by opponents 15-9 in first halves throughout the course of the season. Moreover, Duke has only recorded three clean sheets on the season and has suffered a few big losses: 5-0 to Louisville and a pair of 4-1 defeats to Wake Forest and Notre Dame. With that said, the Blue Devils have outscored opponents 20-14 in the second period of play, so a 0-0 half time is a dangerous scoreline.
Thus, NC State cannot come out with a passive mentality come opening kickoff. State must strike a balance, looking to take chances aggressively during the first half before playing the second half more pragmatically. Given Duke’s attacking options and scoring history in the second half, the Wolfpack cannot let the game turn into a scoring contest, but should not try to sneak a win by giving its opponent possession and looking exclusively for counter attacks.
Contain Sean Davis — The Duke senior midfielder is one of the best players in the country, ranked No. 5 by Top Drawer Soccer. From his position in central midfield, he commands the side, using a blend of quick feet and excellent field vision to pick sides apart.
While Duke is loaded with individual talent, Davis is the key facilitator and engine in the side. The Wolfpack must keep him contained, most likely with the aggressive tracking of freshman Zach Knudson. However, State’s attacking midfield star must keep his hard tackling under control, as Davis is more than capable of drawing fouls and getting opposing players in card trouble.
Clinical finishing — A lack of precision in front of the goal has killed the Pack against quality but beatable opposition this season. Losses to Carolina and Clemson and a number of draws to teams like Boston College, Pitt and Syracuse all could have gone the Wolfpack’s way had clear-cut chances been converted.
At the moment, NC State lacks a true central striker, with both senior Nick Surkamp and freshman Ade Taiwo sidelined, so players like sophomore Yanni Hachem, junior Reed Norton and freshman Ryan Peterson cannot put good service to waste.
In the spring preseason, NC State routed Duke 6-2 in an exhibition match. While both teams have changed dramatically since April, one thing the Pack must recall from that game is its composed finishing.
Remain composed at the back — Despite its relative youth, the Wolfpack has a highly talented back four. Both fullbacks, senior Matt Ingram and freshman Caleb Duvernay, are quick and intelligent defenders, while freshman center back Matias Fracchia has settled to form a powerful partnership with fellow freshman Conor Donovan.
The defense has all the tools to keep danger at bay but must stay composed for the full 90 minutes. Goals conceded against the group this year were hardly due to a lack of defensive ability; rather, mental mistakes led to easy opposition goals.
Against UNC, nearly 90 minutes of stern defending collapsed when the group converged on a single Tar Heel forward, leaving UNC’s Omar Holness wide open to convert from a narrow angle.
A zealousness to attack every ball in the area cannot outweigh communication and control.
Seize the moment — Given State’s poor ACC record and inability to beat the lesser teams in the conference, the team has been granted a clean slate to shake off the poor performances, injuries and mental slipups that led to losses and draws that should not have been losses or draws.
The Pack has the talent and tactical acumen to compete with every team in the ACC, but putting together a complete performance has eluded State this season. Bottom line: With very little to lose and a lot to gain, can the Wolfpack realize its potential and overcome a talented but beatable team?
