Coach George Tarantini had barely made his way off the field before he was promptly soaked with a cooler of Gatorade after clinching his 200th career victory at N.C. State.
He was drenched following a win that came in convincing fashion, as the Wolfpack (4-3-3) shut out High Point (3-7-1) in an offense showcase, 5-0, with the five goals coming from five different players.
Tarantini specifically commended the play of sophomore forward Daniel Fish, who struck first at the 20:37 mark off an assist from sophomore forward Alan Sanchez.
Fish pointed to the team’s depth and continued effort — on both sides of the ball — as the reason it was finally able to secure its first win in five games.
“I don’t think it’s individual,” Fish said. “The whole team stepped up. Not only were we missing our leading scorer, but to give [Tarantini] his 200th win in the fashion like that — five goals — it just kind of made a statement about it.”
The team was forced to play without its leading scorer, senior forward El Hadj Cisse. In accordance with NCAA rules, he sat out because he had received his fifth yellow card of the season in the previous game against Boston College.
“Honestly, before the game, I said I want to win for El Hadj,” Tarantini said. “El Hadj has been doing such a great job [and was] not playing today. El Hadj is a senior, and he has been playing really, really well.”
Cisse was still in attendance as a fan, and explained, “It’s my team. Whatever happens, I have to support them.”
The game’s top performers included Sanchez — who recorded three assists in addition to his first goal of the season — and sophomore midfielder Jorge Mora, who tallied two assists.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Christopher Widman picked up his third shutout of the season, collecting three saves in the contest. According to Widman, the convincing win was exactly what the team needed at this point in the season.
“No goals is what we’ve been working for, and it hasn’t happened in a while,” Widman said. “The ball finally went in the net. I think the offense has been doing pretty well. They’ve just been getting some unlucky breaks, and it finally went in today.”
After finally picking up the milestone that had eluded him over the past few weeks, Tarantini grabbed a towel to dry off and reflected on his experience with the Pack.
“It feels good,” Tarantini said. “There’s so many people I’ve coached in the past, great players. I’ve been here since 21 years ago. That’s a long time. I’m very grateful to work at this unbelievable institution. I’m very grateful for all the people I’ve met in my life who make my life better — like a human being more than anything else.”
With tears in his eyes, Tarantini expressed gratitude for those who paved the way for his career — specifically the man who influenced him from the very beginning.
“Sports, you know, you win or lose,” Tarantini said. “I’m thinking right now about Mr. [Willis] Casey, Jim Valvano and coach [Sam] Esposito — legends in the sports. There are so many people I have to say thank you to — and my father.”
