What Happened?

The men’s soccer team traveled to No. 2 Wake Forest this past weekend. The game had a special significance for senior midfielder Hugh Cronin, as his younger brother, Sam Cronin, is the captain of the Demon Deacons. Wake won the contest 4-0, keeping N.C. State winless in ACC play. Cronin said the game was more lopsided than he anticipated.

“It’s been an up-and-down season,” he said. “We’ve been in every game, and it’s been competitive, except for the last one. It’s getting down to the wire. We need to start winning games, that’s for sure.”

Who’s Hot?

Senior midfielder El Hadj Cisse leads the team with three goals and sophomore midfielder Alan Sanchez has tallied seven assists. Although goalkeeper Christopher Widman struggled during the last game against the Deacons — collecting only three saves and allowing four goals — senior midfielder Ernesto Di Laudo said his play in previous contests has been instrumental to the team’s success.

“The last game doesn’t show it, but our keeper is doing really well,” Di Laudo said. “Chris has been the one that is giving us the confidence that we need.”

Who’s Not?

Junior defender Stanley Mathurin received a red card in the game against Wake. The red card was issued just five minutes into the second half, forcing the Wolfpack to play a man down for the remainder of the contest. Mathurin, a starter, must sit out the next match in accordance with NCAA rules.

Coach George Tarantini said the team must make smarter decisions and start playing up to its potential.

“We’re supposed to do better,” he said. “We need to win. We need to be more prepared. We need to do a better job.”

What’s Next?

State will look to secure its first ACC victory this Sunday against Clemson. The game is slated for 2 p.m. at Method Road Stadium.