Despite a heartbreaking loss by penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Princeton, the Wolfpack improved upon its breakout 2016 campaign by posting a 15-5-2 overall record.
NC State finished third in the ACC with a 6-3-1 conference record and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season in 2017. The Wolfpack also hosted and won its first ACC Tournament match since 1995 and has now qualified for back-to-back NCAA and ACC Tournaments for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
In what was head coach Tim Santoro’s fifth season with the program, the Pack saw standout performances from several players.
Sophomore midfielder Tziarra King notched 40 points on 17 goals and six assists, a mark that currently stands as fourth-best in the NCAA for total goals and second in the ACC in points. Her dynamic play led the Wolfpack, as she recorded five game-winning goals on the year and earned a spot on the All-ACC first team.
Sophomore midfielder Ricci Walkling also dazzled with her play this season. The Bayern Munich product finished tied for the third on the team with 12 points with four goals and four assists. Her proficient ball handling and passing skills paced the team all season as she started all 22 matches and earned a spot on the All-ACC Third Team.
NC State’s defense was more than solid all season. Juniors Hannah Keogh and Ella Bonner, senior Cailyn Boch, sophomore Krissi Schuster and freshman Lulu Guttenberger all turned in strong performances on the back line. Keogh led the team in assists with eight and Guttenberger’s excellent play earned her a spot at No. 31 on Top Drawer Soccer’s Top-100 list and on the All-ACC Freshman Team.
Junior goalkeeper Sydney Wootten improved upon a solid sophomore campaign by recording eight shutouts, 0.90 goals against average and 64 saves over 19 matches.
The Wolfpack won six of its first seven matches to start the season, falling only to Princeton at home. That loss would prove to be the only loss at Dail Soccer Field for NC State, as the Pack logged a 10-1-1 record when defending its own turf.
The Wolfpack’s first conference match provided a difficult test for State as it squared off against No. 3 Virginia at home. NC State held serve against the Cavaliers behind Wootten’s six saves on 20 shots en route to a 0-0 draw.
After picking up its first conference win of the season against Boston College thanks to a last-minute goal by King, Santoro and his team endured a tough road trip, losing three road matches in a row to Notre Dame, defending national champion Florida State and No. 4 Duke.
NC State ended the season on a five-game winning streak including wins over Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech. The Wolfpack’s 6-3-1 record placed it third in the ACC, which meant a home game in the ACC tourney. The Wolfpack defeated Notre Dame handily 4-1 behind a hat trick by King, but fell to UNC-Chapel Hill in the semifinals 1-0.
In the NCAA Tournament, State defeated Arkansas to advance to the second round and a rematch with Princeton. After even regulation and overtime periods, the Wolfpack fell in penalty kicks to the Tigers.
Although the Wolfpack’s season ended sooner than it would have hoped, the future looks bright.
The team will lose seniors Rachel Cox, Jackie Stengel and Boch to graduation, but assuming the rest of the lineup stays in school, nearly the entire starting lineup will return. With even more experience under their belts, next season could prove even more successful than the 2017 campaign.
