The NC State men’s soccer team starts regular season play with a pair of weekend matches against Valparaiso on Friday and Cal Poly on Sunday at Dail Soccer Field.
A young Wolfpack team looks to continue strong defensive play established in the preseason; the Pack posted wins against UNC-Wilmington, Campbell and Elon without conceding a goal.
Team captain and senior defender Ryan Metts praised the group’s effort at the back so far.
“Our coaching staff has been vital,” Metts said. “They relay information really well and placed emphasis in the preseason on our defense. In college soccer, defense is all about mistakes. You concede because of them, so it’s all about making as few as possible.”
However, the start of the regular season wipes the slate clean, according to Metts, and he expects plenty of intensity once the starting whistle blows against Valpo on Friday.
“I’m expecting a ton of energy,” Metts said. “The starting group doesn’t have that much collegiate experience as we have three freshmen players in Zach Knudson, Conor Donovan, and Ade Taiwo, so as it’s the first game of the season, they’ll be ready to make an impact.”
New faces abound in head coach Kelly Findley’s side. With a recruiting class ranked third nationally by Top Drawer Soccer, the team will count on a variety of freshmen and transfer players.
Despite the relative youth in the team, Metts, who captains the team alongside junior midfielder Holden Fender, praised the bold, mature play of the recruits.
“Reed Norton and Zach Knudson on the left are both really attacking, so I think we’ll get a lot of goals from that side,” Metts said. “Reed does things I never even think of in attacking play. Then there’s Ade Taiwo partnering Nick Surkamp at forward. It’s a little different because we’ve never played with two forwards in the past, so it’s all about getting combinations right.”
Moreover, Metts complimented the stellar play of freshman center back Conor Donovan, a standout player who has impressed at the under-20 national team level.
“Conor Donovan, who plays on my side, is somebody I’ve known before from the Railhawks U-23s,” Metts said. “He’s local, so he fits right in.”
In the past, the Wolfpack has struggled early in the season, losing focus and giving up goals at the ends of games, which Metts identified as a weakness this year’s team will work to overcome.
“It’s a three month season, and last year we only really got it together with around seven games left,” Metts said. “We gave up too many easy points early in the season. To make the tournament we have to start right out of the gate.”
As captain, the senior defender hopes to help his team maintain sharpness over the full 90 minutes.
“As captain I focus on mentality,” Metts said. “I always say, ‘be safe in the first five minutes,’ and as the game progresses, our quality will eventually kick in. I make sure the guys get their first touch and first pass under their belts and the game moves from there.”
With a highly rated recruiting class, a strong crop of returning starters and a point to prove in the ACC, the ingredients are there for a run at an NCAA tournament berth, the primary goal for the program.
Wins over tough Valparaiso and Cal Poly teams this weekend would go a long way toward making that goal a reality.
An underrated factor in this weekend’s games could be the Wolfpack fans, who arrived in droves for last Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Campbell.
“It was awesome,” Metts said. “Only way to describe it. That was the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of, and as it was an exhibition, it really surprised me. I easily could’ve run for 100 minutes and just didn’t get tired. Unfortunately I was pulled at halftime, but it’s unbelievable what the crowd does for the game. It makes you really proud to play for NC State.”
Game times are set for 7 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
