The NC State men’s soccer team looks to close out its regular season this Friday in Clemson, South Carolina, against the No.19 ranked Tigers.
Friday’s game will be a good test for the Pack (7-5-4, 1-3-3 ACC), which are coming off a convincing 4-1 win against the Liberty Flames Tuesday.
Despite Clemson’s 9-6-1 record overall and being 4-2-1 in the ACC, NC State Head Coach Kelly Findley isn’t worried.
“I feel good,” Findley said. “I think we are playing the best soccer of the year. Our guys are working hard as well, and that combination will allow you to compete against any team in any game.”
Findley’s confidence more than likely stems from the good form his team has been in lately, with a record of 4-2-1 in the last seven games.
Most notably is NC State’s track record against ranked opponents, as the team defeated then-No. 5 Louisville in a late thriller off of a sensational goal from junior defender Reed Norton.
More recently, the Pack tied another No. 5 ranked program in Syracuse (13-2-1, 4-2-1 ACC), 0-0. NC State held off the high-powered Orange offense that has scored 29 goals this season in double overtime with only 10 men.
Even more impressive was State’s last minute chance from redshirt junior midfielder Philip Carmon that almost saw them to victory. However it was denied by Syracuse junior goalkeeper Alex Bono, who has only conceded six goals all season.
Regardless, State became one of only three teams to take points off of ‘Cuse this season.
Going into Friday night’s game, the Pack backline will have its hands full with Clemson’s offense. While the Tigers do not have an outright leading scorer, five players all have three goals, and those five players have fourteen assists combined for the season.
This means Clemson has some offensive flexibility, with various threats capable of scoring or assisting, thus providing a stern test for the Wolfpack defense.
State’s defense has seen many changes this season. Senior defender Clement Simonin went down midway through the year due to injury, forcing senior Moss Jackson-Atogi and freshman Matias Fracchia to split time alongside freshman sensation Conor Donovan, the only consistent starter in the back four this year.
At the beginning of the season, senior Ryan Metts and Norton flanked the center back pairing, but both players found themselves relocated by the strong play of freshman defender Caleb Duvernay and senior defender Matt Ingram.
Duvernay and Ingram are much more natural fullbacks with excellent stamina, strong defensive skills and consistent attacking down the line.
Undoubtedly, Donovan has been the standout this season among the back four. The Fuquay-Varina native has been a consistent member of the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team and was recently rated the fourth-best freshman player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.
Donovan may be a rock in the back line, but the true anchor of the team is junior goalkeeper Alex McCauley. McCauley has recorded 67 saves this season, making a career-high 12 in the Louisville game, including a penalty-kick save.
The Pack offense, which scored four goals on Liberty Tuesday, will need to challenge the Clemson defense. The Tigers have conceded 15 goals while only giving away 69 corners and 185 shots. This compares to NC State’s 18 goals, 109 corners and 195 shots.
NC State struggled to convert chances in big matches this season, and losses to UNC-Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech, as well as the tie with Syracuse, all came on the back of a lack of clinical finishing in front of goal.
State will have a boost with the return of freshman attacking midfielder Zach Knudson, who sat out Tuesday’s match due to a red card collected against Syracuse.
Knudson’s partnership with sophomore wingers Yanni Hachem and Travis Wannemuehler must prove fruitful if the Wolfpack wishes to breach Clemson’s defense.
Having the upper hand in a road match against a strong opponent will not only put pressure on Clemson that will lead to mistakes, but a win will increase the chance of State playing into the NCAA tournament.
