The NC State men’s soccer team played about as perfect a 90 minutes as a team can, dominating the College of Charleston 2-0 Monday night at Dail Soccer Stadium.
Initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Charleston, the contest between the two teams was rescheduled for Monday night at 7 p.m. in Raleigh. The Wolfpack (2-0) outshot the Cougars (1-1) 16-4, with junior German midfielder Julius Duchscherer and junior midfielder Yanni Hachem getting on the scoresheet.
The Pack could’ve scored more according to an understandably pleased Kelly Findley, the NC State head coach.
“I think, start to finish, we were fantastic,” Findley said. “I loved the tempo we played at. I love our balance. We were aggressive, and I thought our transition was excellent. I thought we should’ve scored more goals is the only thing I could say. We should have had two or three in the first half, and if that happens it’s a different game, but I thought it was a great 90-minute effort.”
While most collegiate matches are decided through brief moments of quality or errors from a defense, Monday’s match was a clear example of a tactical triumph. NC State outwitted Charleston, with the Wolfpack’s diamond midfield playing havoc with the Cougars’ defense.
The Cougars were playing a fairly flat midfield four with a pair of strikers up front, meaning the Wolfpack had a numerical advantage in the center. The diamond of sophomore defensive midfielder Cameron Steele, Duchscherer, sophomore Zach Knudson and Hachem controlled the game, creating chances while remaining solid in defense.
“I think we’re coming together very well,” Knudson said. “I think we might not switch [the current midfield] since it’s working so well. Cam drops in, Yanni gets in the pocket and me and Julius drop in too to get the ball. It’s just been working out really well.”
When the Pack had the ball, the four were in constant motion, finding gaps in the Cougars’ midfield. As soon as Charleston’s wide midfielders tucked inside to match State’s numbers in the center, the Pack’s outside backs, sophomore Caleb Duvernay and freshman Simon Blotko, sprinted forward and had space to cross.
State created a few solid chances in the first half with this pattern. Hachem received the ball on a silver platter just six yards from goal in the 27th minute but blazed his shot over after good work from Blotko and Duchscherer. Then Duchscherer would draw an excellent save from Charleston keeper Alex Young just minutes later in the 35th after a cutback pass from Duvernay.
Eventually, this approach paid off in the 41st minute. Blotko found himself in space again down the right and cut the ball back to Duchscherer, who slammed a low shot into the net for his first NC State goal.
State’s defending throughout was excellent. Senior captain Holden Fender, normally a midfielder, continued at center back after playing 90 minutes in the 2-1 win against Furman on Friday. He and senior Reed Norton, who played for the same club in Georgia before college, were strong and intelligent, which drew praise from Findley.
“Not only do those guys have the qualities that you want out of good center backs, but they’ve known each other since they were like 9 years old,” Findley said. “They know each other’s habits…where you need experience is across the back and it’s great to have that.”
Charleston played a direct match, knocking long, straight balls at State’s defense, and the Cougars didn’t adjust after half time, meaning the second period proceeded much like the first.
Hachem converted a penalty kick after grad student-athlete Phil Carmon was taken down in the box 61:00 in, and the Wolfpack saw out a comfortable win that keeps the team unbeaten to start the season.
