NC State men’s soccer suffered its first loss of the season in a rainy and hard-fought 3-1 defeat against No. 14 UCF.
The Pack (2-1) scored the first goal of the contest, but failed to generate much offense in the second half. This lack of energy allowed UCF (3-0) to find its offensive stride and score three second-half goals.
From the outset, the Wolfpack faced a skilled UCF team that dominated possession on the Pack’s side of the field for the first 20 minutes of play. The red-and-white defense repeled numerous calculated attacks from the Knights.
The defense was tested early and responded admirably, with graduate defender Kendall Edwards making a remarkable diving header to thwart off an offensive attack. This defensive highlight shifted the momentum in favor of NC State, turning defense into offense.
After a few unsuccessful offensive attempts, the Pack finally found success with its first goal of the night. At the 30-minute mark, freshman midfielder Yuta Toya intercepted a pass from the UCF goalkeeper and quickly passed to junior midfielder Will Buete. Buete capitalized with a clean shot from just inside the box, giving the red-and-white a 1-0 lead.
UCF made halftime adjustments to improve its offensive opportunities, earning consecutive free kicks on the heels of a faltering Wolfpack defense. The second free kick, at the 68-minute mark, resulted in a goal by UCF forward Robbie Soronellas from just outside the box, leveling the score at 1-1.
NC State had its moments in the second half, especially with Buete’s outstanding performance on both offense and defense. However, Buete’s efforts couldn’t prevent the Wolfpack defense from showing its cracks.
UCF continued to exploit NC State with its fast-paced offense. The Knights scored a second goal with a cross that the Wolfpack defense couldn’t get to quick enough, resulting in an easy goal punched into the top-right corner of the net.
Freshman forward Ervin Cruz made an individual effort to respond, taking the ball deep into the opposing box and firing a shot that narrowly missed the crossbar.
However, UCF came right back, , trotting down the field at its own pace, waiting for holes in the defense to develop before driving home its third and final goal at 82nd minute mark.
The Knights remain undefeated and are establishing themselves as a formidable team. The Wolfpack on the other hand, collected its first loss of the season and will look to rebound against Stetson on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
