Vibhavari Vempala
Caleb Duvernay, a sophomore and defender for the Wolfpack soccer team, rushes down the field at the game versus Wake Forest on Oct. 9 on the Dail Soccer Field. Zach Knudson was in play for 110 minutes and had one shot on goal. The Wolfpack tied No.4 Wake Forest, 0-0.
The No. 20 NC State men’s soccer team will turn to No. 13 South Carolina Tuesday at Dail Soccer Stadium, with the clash set to kick off at 7 p.m.
The Wolfpack (6-2-3, 1-1-3 ACC) has truly been tested these past few weeks, and the non-conference matchup against the Gamecocks (7-3-1, 4-0-0 CUSA) will be its fourth consecutive game against ranked opposition.
The Pack will also look to break its three-game winless streak, with three ties in a row coming against Louisville, Notre Dame and Wake Forest. Despite no wins from three, draws against teams of this quality have been a good sign for NC State, as the team is competing or outplaying some of the top teams in the country and has earned a spot at No. 18 in the RPI rankings.
The Gamecocks, coincidentally at No. 17 in terms of RPI, are currently undergoing a superb run of form, with five wins in six games, and their only loss coming against top-ranked Wake Forest, 2-0.
Although South Carolina has been impenetrable at home, tallying a 5-0-1 record at Stone Stadium, it has faltered a bit on the road, with a record of 2-3-0.
The Wolfpack has not lost a game at home in Dail Soccer Stadium this season, and with South Carolina encountering struggles on the road this year, NC State will look to capitalize with the support that home-field advantage provides.
The Gamecocks have already downed two top-25 teams this season, beating No. 23 Elon 3-1 Sept. 22 (ranked No. 8 at the time), and No. 24 New Mexico 2-1 on Sept. 25 (ranked No. 7 at the time). This is the first time the team has won consecutive games against top-10 opposition since 2000.
The matchup will feature a showdown between two in-form goalkeepers. NC State senior goalkeeper Alex McCauley is coming off a shutout against Wake, making six saves and claiming his third shutout of the year.
South Carolina sophomore goalkeeper William Pyle just recorded his first shutout of the year against Florida Atlantic Oct. 9, but has had a stellar year despite this fact. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team last year at UNC-Greensboro, and earned his starting role midway through the season for the Gamecocks.
The Wolfpack defensive unit will look to lock it down at home once more after the shutout performance last Friday night against Wake Forest. If senior center backs Reed Norton and Holden Fender are as solid as they were against the Demon Deacons, the Gamecocks will struggle to get on the scoresheet.
The difficulty for NC State comes on the other end, where the team has struggled to get the ball in the net against top opposition. Chances from redshirt senior Phil Carmon, sophomore Ade Taiwo and freshman Simon Blotko went begging against the Demon Deacons in a scoreless effort. In the previous game against Notre Dame, the Pack needed a moment of brilliance from sophomore midfielder Zach Knudson to tie, a match that State dominated and produced a number of chances that should have been put away.
The good news is that the Pack is creating opportunities. Rather than struggling to generate attacking moves, State has systematic, patterned moves that involve various pieces on the field. Blotko and sophomore Caleb Duvernay get forward from outside back and whip in crosses. Sophomore Ryan Peterson is clever with his movement and passing and can typically be counted on to slither past a defender, spring his partner at forward or craft a chance out of nothing.
After his breakout freshman year, Knudson has continued to be NC State’s most dangerous attacker thanks to his smooth dribbling and strength on the ball. He scored in the Pack’s 2-1 win in Columbia, South Carolina last season, and his contribution offensively will be crucial to taking points in a game that, if won, could cement State for the rest of the season.
The match is set to be a thrilling one, as both in-form, top-20 teams are set to square off at Dail Soccer Stadium, giving the Wolfpack a home-field advantage and a chance for its first win in four games.