N.C. State used contributions from a familiar face and a new face on Wednesday to defeat High Point 1-0 at Method Road Soccer Stadium.
Junior midfielder Jessica O’Rourke scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season in 33rd minute, and freshman goalkeeper Sydney Little notched four saves and a shutout in the first start of her career.
Coach Laura Kerrigan said the game was rough, but the Wolfpack (9-7-2, 3-6 ACC) is glad to take the win over the Panthers (4-13).
“That was an ugly game, but we’ll take the ‘W.’ We created a couple of really good opportunities and we just didn’t put them away. We should have created more opportunities,” Kerrigan said.
“We had some really great scoring opportunities and we hit two directly at their keeper. Not taking anything away from their keeper, but we hit them directly at her. You only get so many chances to score at this level and you’ve got to slip them past.”
The Pack’s only goal came 33 minutes into the first half when High Point goalkeeper Marisa Abbot tried to clear the ball out.
It landed at the feet of O’Rourke, who saw Abbot out of position in goal. O’Rourke let it fly from approximately 40 yards out. Abbot attempted to make the save, but she was standing in the goal. The ball hit her hands and fell harmlessly to the ground, giving State the only lead it needed.
“It just so happened that she kicked it and it came right to me,” O’Rourke said. “I saw her off her line, so I just figured I’d shoot since she was out of the goal. By the time the shot got to the goal, she was back in, but I guess it was just over her head. She was a little off balance.”
Little said her first start in goal went as well as she could have hoped.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “I got a shutout, so that’s pretty good. I’m excited about that.”
She said a one-goal lead increases the pressure on the goalkeeper, but that it didn’t affect her during the course of the game.
“A 1-0 lead is the most dangerous lead you can have,” Little said. “Anything can happen. It definitely increases the pressure, though. They were a very good team and they put up a good fight. But that’s what you want; that’s what I loved about it.”
O’Rourke said the shutout victory shows how successful Little can be for the team.
“I thought she played very well,” O’Rourke said. “She came in and she had confidence. She made some great saves for us.”
Little started in place of senior keeper Megan Connors. Kerrigan said the game provided a good opportunity to give Little a chance to start.
“Sydney played really well today,” Kerrigan said. “She came off her line once to stop a scoring opportunity for them. She made a good save; Sydney played really well. Megan will be back starting for us next game, but it was a good opportunity for Sydney to step in and she did well; she did very well. That was one huge bright spot for us today.”
Kerrigan said the team is disappointed with the way it played.
“I thought High Point was very smart with the way they played,” she said. “They came out and played a low-pressure game. We had opportunities that we really should have finished on.”
Kerrigan said despite the disappointing play, the win keeps State’s NCAA tournament hopes alive.
“The important thing is that, as ugly as it was, we got the ‘W,'” she said. “There’s plenty of games that we play well and don’t win. We’re happy to get the win today and keep our hopes alive for the NCAAs.”
O’Rourke said State needs to improve on finishing its opportunities if it wants to contend with No. 18 Virginia this weekend.
“We possessed well, we just didn’t finish on the other end,” she said. “Our level has to be raised 10-fold against Virginia [on Saturday]. They’re a great team. We have to bring it. We have to play better and we have to finish our opportunities.”
The Pack closes out its regular-season slate Saturday with an ACC match-up against the No. 18 Cavaliers at Method Road Soccer Stadium.
