After coming off of a 9-9-2 (4-6 ACC) 2021 season that saw the Pack advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, the NC State women’s soccer team is once again ready to take the field to kick off its 2022 season.
Despite adding this tournament appearance to its resume, head coach Tim Santoro and the Wolfpack are no stranger to postseason success. With appearances in the NCAA tournament from 2016-2019 and again in 2021, NC State no doubt has its eyes set on the postseason again this November.
To accomplish this goal, the Pack has reloaded its roster in the offseason with some key returning players, exciting freshmen and a few standout players from last year ready to make the jump in the 2022 season.
NC State will need every part of its roster to make its way through its tough schedule however. With a slew of tough ACC and non-conference opponents, the Pack’s journey back to the postseason won’t be an easy one. For the first month of the season, NC State will face its non-conference opponents, those of which notably include Georgetown and South Carolina, who respectively rank No. 19 and No. 12 in the NCAA’s preseason rankings.
Once through its non-conference schedule, NC State will face its fair share of challenges from some of the best teams not only in the ACC, but the whole nation. After opening its ACC schedule with Wake Forest, a fair challenge in itself, the Wolfpack will square off with No. 2 Duke. This brief home stretch is followed by perhaps the most challenging portion of NC State’s season where the squad will face No. 25 Clemson, No. 16 Notre Dame and No. 10 North Carolina in three straight games on the road.
If NC State wants to top its 4-6 conference record from last year, playing well against the heavyweights that occupy the ACC is essential. However, the dual return of graduate defenders Jenna Butler and Lulu Guttenberger are two season-changing additions to the Pack’s roster. With the pair of backs using their extra year of eligibility, the two team veterans add an extra level of leadership and security to the Pack’s back line.
With Butler and Guttenberger in front of her once again, junior goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta will look to have another standout season in goal. Echezarreta finished the 2021 campaign with a whopping 76 saves and a .776 save percentage. In addition, she recorded a career-high eight saves in three separate games last year. All three will look to lead NC State’s formidable defense in the 2022 season.
While the Pack houses multiple veterans on defense, there are quite a few sophomores expected to make a jump in their second seasons with the Pack. Sophomore midfielders Annika Wohner and Emika Kawagishi will see lots of time facilitating and controlling games in the middle of the field while sophomore defenders Fernanda Soto and Nina Zimmer will look to bolster NC State’s already impressive defense.
On the attacking side, senior forward Jameese Joseph will continue to be the Wolfpack’s main offensive threat. With a team-leading nine goals last season, Joseph has improved year after year and NC State will continue to rely on her more and more on the offensive side in 2022. Other offensive threats include Wohner, who had the second highest goal total in 2021 at six, as well as Butler and Guttenberger.
The aforementioned backs don’t just get it done on defense, but play a major role in the offense as well. In 2021, the two combined for seven goals, and Guttenberger recorded a team-high five assists. The perennially impressive NC State midfield and backfield always has a major part to play in the team’s offensive production, and this season will be no exception.
With an exciting roster full of talent ready to take the next step and returning team veterans looking to put an exclamation point on an important 2022 season, the NC State women’s soccer team looks to battle through its tough schedule with its reloaded roster to once again find success in the postseason.
The first chance to see NC State’s squad in action is Monday, Aug. 8 at Dail Soccer Field in Raleigh against Ohio State in an exhibition game, while the Pack will officially open its 2022 regular season Thursday, Aug. 18 against Rhode Island.
Kickoff against Ohio State is set for 7 p.m. and live updates, post match coverage and more NC State soccer coverage can be found on @TechSports on Twitter.
