The NC State women’s soccer team will take on Clemson and South Carolina in a doubleheader Saturday in Clemmons, North Carolina.
The Pack will look to extend its win streak on the spring season to three matches and remain undefeated after compiling a 2-0-1 record thus far.
Last match, the Wolfpack shut out Richmond, 3-0, while getting a look at the possible rotation for the upcoming season in the team’s first spring home game. Freshmen Kia Rankin and Emma Willard, as well as sophomore Hannah Keogh, each managed a goal during the match, with Rankin also recording an assist.
State has also defeated Virginia Commonwealth and tied Wake Forest this spring.
The Wolfpack’s next opponent, Clemson, experienced an excellent 2016 campaign. The Tigers finished second in the ACC regular season standings, tallying a 7-1-2 conference record and 14-4-4 mark overall. The team was edged in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament by Florida State by just one goal. After earning a three-seed in the NCAA Championship bracket, the team advanced to the third round of the tournament and was defeated by conference foe UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Wolfpack narrowly fell to Clemson in an away game, 2-1, in a conference matchup during the 2016 season.
State’s second opponent of the day, South Carolina, also earned an NCAA Championship berth in 2016. The Gamecocks went undefeated in conference play during the 2016 season, logging an 11-0-0 SEC record and a 21-2-1 record overall. The team’s lone losses came in the SEC and NCAA tournaments, when it fell to Florida and UNC, respectively.
Both opponents should be a tough matchup come Saturday, but the spring season is mainly used to get an idea of next year’s squad and tune up for the fall season.
The Pack will have to replace graduating seniors Gladys Loyas and Rachel Cox, but should return the rest of the 2016 team, which consisted of mostly freshmen and sophomores in the rotation. Several players, including redshirt freshman Carrie Lewis, early-enrollee Naomi Powell and junior goalkeeper Harley James, have seen time on the field this spring. Lewis sat out the 2016 campaign due to injury and James did not make an appearance.
The Pack will take on Clemson at 10 a.m. and then South Carolina at 2 p.m. NC State will finish out its spring slate when it hosts Liberty on April 22.
Freshman midfielder Naomi Powell dribbles the ball downfield. The NC State beat Richmond 3-0 at Dail Soccer Stadium on Saturday.
