With just two regular-season games remaining, the NC State men’s soccer team may already be thinking about the postseason, but crucial games remain, beginning with an ACC clash at Syracuse on Friday night.

The Wolfpack (8-3-3, 1-2-3) has been excellent at home but not so fortunate on the road, as all three of the team’s losses have happened away from the Dail Soccer Stadium. Downing the Orange (9-4-2, 2-3-1) would be huge for the team’s standings heading into both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.

The team must answer two questions in order to determine whether the team can down the Orange. First, the Pack must limit Orange sophomore midfielder Julian Buescher, who leads the team with seven goals and seven assists, and junior forward Ben Polk, who’s racked up six goals and four assists.

Second, the team must find a solution for the absence of junior midfielder Yanni Hachem, who has missed time due to illness. NC State head coach Kelly Findley noted Hachem’s key contribution to the Pack’s excellent midfield and has used a combination of junior Travis Wannemuehler and sophomore Nick Retzlaff to fill Hachem’s spot, but a clear solution hasn’t been clear after games against Duke and App State.

The Wolfpack will continue to rely on its strong defense and look to the return of Reed Norton, who was suspended for the App State game, to boost the team as it heads north for a tough conference game.