Brandon Lang
Sophmore midfielder Tziarra King winds up for a shot against Boston College during the home game in Dail Soccer Stadium. The Wolfpack won 1-0 on Thursday.
The No. 24 NC State women’s soccer team used a last-minute goal from sophomore Tziarra King to top Boston College in a conference matchup Thursday night at Dail Soccer Stadium.
The Wolfpack won its fifth-straight result to improve to 8-1-1 and 1-0-1 in the ACC as the Eagles fell to 7-4-0 and 1-1-0 in the ACC.
“Any conference win in this conference is good,” head coach Tim Santoro said. “All in all, it’s a good way to hit the road for four games.”
It was a slow start for the Pack, as both teams were unable to muster anything offensively in the first half. Both teams fought hard for possession, but the Pack kept the ball on the Boston College side of the field for most of the half. Although State did not manage a shot, it did control the start of the match and allowed just two Eagle shots, both of which did not come close to changing the score.
“They’re definitely a hardcore scrappy team,” King said. “Most of the game I was checking, had someone in my back, at least three, four players around me the whole game, so they’re definitely very fast and quick to the ball.”
In the 64th minute, a yellow card was called on freshman Lulu Guttenberger. An errant Wolfpack pass led to a breakaway by the Eagles, but Guttenberger seemed to hold the Boston College attacker back, leading to the penalty.
“There was a little lapse in the second half where we kind of lost our rhythm,” Santoro said. “The last 15 minutes we started putting a little pressure and made a few adjustments.”
In the 75th minute, NC State took its first shot of the night, courtesy of sophomore Ricci Walkling, but the match still remained scoreless. Later, in the 85th minute, King broke away with the ball past two defenders but was denied by the Eagle goalkeeper.
In the 90th and final minute of play, King, returning from an injury suffered last weekend, broke loose from the Boston College defense and fired a shot to score the first and only goal of the game to put the Pack up 1-0. The goal was King’s seventh of the season and 18th point, both of which lead the team.
“Honestly, after I got the ball, everything was a blur after that,” King said. “Things just happen, it was exciting.”
The score was all the Pack needed to seal a 1-0 victory.
NC State kicks off again Sunday at 1 p.m. against Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana at Alumni Stadium as it begins a four-game road trip.