On Friday the NC State men’s soccer team put on its best defensive performance to date, repelling No. 5 ranked Louisville’s ferocious attack and ultimately defeating the Cardinals 2-1.
Key to the Pack’s defensive strength has been the rock-solid performances of U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team player and State freshman center back Conor Donovan.
A Fuquay-Varina native and product of the Capitol Area Railhawks Academy, Donovan has excelled in State’s backline, even though it has fluctuated due to injury this season, and said the defensive unit has stayed secure, despite player rotation.
“We’ve gotten unlucky with injuries this season, but we’ve remained strong,” Donovan said. “Even with Clement [Simonin] going down, guys like Moss [Jackson-Atogi] and Matias [Fracchia] have stepped up and there hasn’t been a significant drop in performance. We’ll keep getting better with experience”
Donovan typifies the modern central defender. At 6-foot-2, he’s capable of defending in the air but is sure-footed and quick over the ground, adept at running down quick attackers and intercepting passes before they read their targets.
Moreover, Donovan is comfortable with the ball at his feet and defends with a maturity and intelligence rarely found in 18-year-olds, no doubt formed through his years as part of the U.S. Youth National Team system. Currently, Donovan is a member of the U-20 team, coached by NC State alumni Tab Ramos.
“Playing for the national team is incredible,” Donovan said. “While the intensity is similar to college, the players at the international level are more skilled. You’re facing guys from England, Spain and other countries who play professionally for clubs in the Champions League, so there’s definitely a gap in the level of individuals.”
In early September, Donovan took part in the latest U-20 camp, this time held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Besides training with other members of the U-20 player pool, the U.S. team members played friendlies against reserve sides from Argentine professional sides Defensa y Justica and Racing Club, as well as Argentina’s U-20 side, posting a 2-0-1 record.
“We trained really hard while we were in Argentina and played a couple of really good teams,” Donovan said. “We defeated Defensa y Justica’s reserve side 3-2, Racing Club’s reserves 2-0 and tied the national team 1-1, but a big bonus was the coaching. Tab Ramos, obviously, is an NC State alumni and has a ton of experience and knowledge.”
Donovan’s connection to NC State and to Raleigh played a huge role in choosing to play for the Wolfpack. He attended Cardinal Gibbons high school his freshman year and was a part of the Varsity team’s state championship win alongside another current Pack player, sophomore midfielder Yanni Hachem.
“Although I was only at Gibbons for a year, I got to play with Yanni Hachem and won a state championship,” Donovan said. “Gibbons has a great program under Head Coach Tim Healy, as does the entire Raleigh area. Being local was a huge part of why I chose State.”
For his sophomore and junior years, the defender took part in the U17 Men’s National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., before returning to finish high school at Fuquay Varina, graduating and immediately heading into the whirlwind life of a collegiate athlete and U-20 USMNT member.
The demands of playing 90 minutes twice a week for a D-1 NCAA program, staying in contention for and attending U.S. Youth National Team camps and being a full-time student is a stringent challenge, one Donovan applauds his professors for helping him adapt to.
“My professors have been excellent and really understanding,” Donovan said. “When I went to Argentina, they helped me stay up to date in my classes.”
While he doesn’t get much downtime, Donovan takes time to relax by taking walks and engrossing himself in a college student necessity: Netflix.
“I just finished Prison Break, which was great, and now I’m onto Friday Night Lights,” the freshman defender said. “Once I finish that though, I’ll need to find something new.”
