Off the field, Stephen Elias doesn’t raise eyebrows.

A typical brown-haired freshman of slightly below-average height, he hardly screams elite athlete, but put a ball at his feet, and that all changes.

For Elias, NC State is the next step in a journey that has taken him from his hometown of Rye, New York, to the training centers of CF Pachuca in Mexico and West Ham United in London, England.

Now, he’s one of three mid-year enrollees who joined the Wolfpack men’s soccer team in January, along with forward Tanner Roberts and midfielder Ben Locke, both of whom hail from Charlotte. Two games into the spring season, the freshmen trio is already showing they belong, displaying the qualities Wolfpack head coach Kelly Findley identified when he first scouted them.

“All three are hard-working guys willing to do whatever it takes to help the team get a result,” Findley said.

At the youth level, Roberts, Elias and Locke were some of the most sought-after prospects in the country, but all three signed with the Pack, and all three boast a wide range of playing experience at some of the highest levels available to youth players in the U.S.

Roberts, a four-star recruit out of Charlotte, captained the Carolina Rapids Academy side and finished second in goals in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy league this past year, but the standout forward says there are big differences between the academy level and Division I.

“It’s way different from academy,” Roberts said. “It’s a lot faster, more physical and it’s taken some time to get used to.”

Elias, who plays as a winger, started for the New York Red Bulls Academy Under-18 side in addition to stints training with foreign professional clubs. His performances training with the academy team of Pachuca in Mexico’s Liga Bancomer MX recently earned him an invite to a tryout with the first team this summer, and he credits these experiences with molding him into the player he is today.

“It really helped mentality-wise because I was never the biggest kid, never the smartest,” Elias said. “Playing at such a high tempo and high quality really helped because when you come [to NC State] you can adjust faster.”

Locke made his name in North Carolina, competing for Charlotte Soccer Academy. The midfielder was a two-time North Carolina All-State selection and two-time Conference Player of the Year at Charlotte Country Day High School.

By enrolling early, he’s already acclimating to the life of a college athlete.

“It’s been a really good transition,” Locke said. “The guys have been incredible at getting us into the team, making us feel a part of the family.”

Intra-squad competition is incredibly fierce on this young Pack team, and the new trio has faced something of a trial by fire, stepping up in spring exhibition matches against the Naval Academy and South Korean professional side Seoul E-Land FC.

Although the team didn’t get a result against Navy, losing 1-0, all three showed their pedigree. 

Elias’s speedy dribbling was a constant threat out wide and he nearly scored a solo goal after sprinting past a defender. Roberts showed his “blue-collar” work ethic, constantly pressuring opposing players and making darting runs. He too nearly found the net after latching onto an excellent cross-field pass, but his header effort went just wide of the goal. Locke, who played a number of minutes in the middle of the field, was calm under pressure.

“It was good to play against Navy as I got the taste of college soccer,” Locke said. “And playing against the pro team was a good experience as the ball moves a lot faster and the guys are a lot more athletic.”

The Pack ended up on the winning side of the score sheet against Seoul E-Land, defeating the K-League team 2-1.

“I thought we made a step forward by getting a result,” Findley said. “We defended really well, and some guys had some good performances.”

Elias was the standout offensive player in the match, recording both assists on the night after showing his devastating pace and balance. Roberts again impressed with his work rate, while Locke continued his displays of intelligence in the middle of the park, according to Findley.

With more preseason matches to come, Roberts, Elias and Locke will continue to make their cases for playing time in the fall.