After conceding an early penalty and falling to 10 men shortly after, the NC State men’s soccer team could not claw its way back, falling to No. 4 Wake Forest 2-0 in the opening ACC match for both squads.
The Wolfpack (2-1-1) started its season hot, but after registering zero shots on goal all game and playing a man down for the majority of the match, the Demon Deacons (5-0) cooled that heat and gave the Pack its first loss of the season. Wake Forest dominated the whole game, proving once again just how competitive the ACC is year in and year out.
The Demon Deacons were able to take an early lead after a series of events occurred that the Wolfpack would like to forget. In the 15th minute, Wolfpack freshman midfielder Calem Tommy took down Wake Forest sophomore Roald Mitchell in the box with an aggressive slide tackle, giving away a penalty.
Mitchell stepped up to take the penalty, but before he could get his uncontested shot away, Wolfpack graduate defender Alex Bautista was given a red card for a foul on a Wake player. The card was given after much deliberation by the referee, but the final decision meant the Wolfpack had to play the rest of the way without one of its most important starting defenders.
Mitchell then slotted away the penalty and gave Wake Forest its deserved lead. The Wolfpack would have hoped to make its mark early, but after a disappointing start, the squad was unable to come up with any answers and looked frantic for the rest of the match. This was a stark contrast to Wake Forest, who for the remaining part of the contest continued to dominate.
The Demon Deacons were firing on all cylinders offensively and managed to win nine corners in total, while NC State had none. In the same vein, Wake Forest had 15 total shots, with eight being on target. Compare this with the Wolfpack’s measly production of just one shot, which was not on target.
The domination eventually paid off for Wake Forest late in the second half as the squad managed to double its lead. In the 79th minute, David Wrona blasted a shot into the bottom left, putting the icing on the cake for the undefeated program.
After losing composure early, the Wolfpack was unable to make a dent in the Wake Forest defense. Despite this, the Wolfpack still managed to hold its own against one of the best programs in the country and can look to its own defense as a bright spot in an otherwise dark outing.
NC State will look to put this result in the past and start a new unbeaten streak as the squad returns home Sept. 13 to take on James Madison at 8 p.m.
