What Happened?The team traveled to then-No. 5 Virginia Tech over the weekend, where it dropped its game 3-0 on Saturday. The loss marked the second-straight ACC shutout for N.C. State (6-7-4, 1-5-1). The previous shutout, a 5-0 loss at Maryland was the toughest defeat for the Wolfpack this season, according to sophomore defender Orry Powers.

“Going there, we knew we needed a win to basically turn around our whole season,” he said. “That was the game that we put the most pressure on, and we didn’t really perform. It was definitely one of the hardest games.”

Who’s Hot?In the game against the Hokies, freshman Adam Williams made his first career start after earning his first assist in State’s previous win against Gardner-Webb. The defensive backfield, led by Powers, Stanley Mathurin and Tyler Lassiter, held Virginia Tech to five shots on goal in the contest. Tarantini said the defense played well in the loss to the Hokies, but insisted that winning is more important than individual performances.

“How do you say you played very well when you don’t win the game?” he said. “The truth of the matter is we need to win. Regardless of how we play, regardless of how we try, the goal is to win.”

Who’s Not?Despite averaging more shots-per-game than its opponents, the Pack’s offense has been shut out five times this season. State has also struggled to find the net in league games, as it has not scored more than two goals against an ACC opponent this season.

What’s Next?The final regular-season game will take place this Saturday against Duke at 2 p.m. at Method Road Soccer Stadium. It also marks the last time that the four Pack seniors will play on their home field.

“It’s crazy to think that it will all be over,” senior Hugh Cronin said. “I’m just hoping for a good result for our team, because we really need it.”