Freshman forward Manny Perez rushes the ball upfield. Perez had one shot for a goal during the 3-2 win over Florida Atlantic on Aug. 25 in Dail Soccer Stadium." />
Nicholas Faulkner
Freshman forward Manny Perez rushes the ball upfield. Perez had one shot for a goal during the 3-2 win over Florida Atlantic on Aug. 25 in Dail Soccer Stadium.
There are no nights off when it comes to ACC men’s soccer.
Just seven days after knocking off No. 3 Clemson to begin its ACC slate, NC State will travel to South Bend, Indiana to face No. 2 Notre Dame Friday.
Last week, the Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0 ACC) picked up two wins, the aforementioned conference game over the Tigers 1-0, and a 2-1 decision over Longwood.
Freshman Manny Perez has taken Wolfpack soccer nation by storm this season, scoring three goals in four matches including the lone goal to top Clemson. The young player has been a key component in head coach George Kiefer’s offensive playing style this season. He was named to the NCAA Team of the Week on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, junior Tanner Roberts is currently tied with Perez for most goals scored this season with three, thanks in high part to his two-goal performance against Longwood. Roberts, a familiar face for many Pack soccer fans, is a highly physical player and has a knack for finding the back of the net.
A big question coming into the 2017 season was who would replace longtime starter in goal Alex McCauley, who graduated in 2016. Kiefer answered that question by recruiting freshman Leon Krapf from Germany. Krapf came up with five tremendous saves in the Clemson win and has a 1.49 goals-against-average on the season thus far. Krapf was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for his performances against Clemson and Longwood.
A big storyline in the Longwood match was the return of senior Julius Duchscherer from injury. Duchscherer was the Pack’s leading scorer in 2016 and he played an integral role in controlling the midfield.
The win over Clemson still doesn’t mask the fact that NC State is a young team with various sprinkles of experience spread throughout. Notre Dame has much more experience overall; the team went 4-3-2 in ACC play in 2016 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The Fighting Irish (4-0, 1-0 ACC) defeated Boston College 3-1 on Sept. 8 for their first conference win. Senior forward John Gallagher will be a player to watch in the game Friday. Gallagher scored all three goals for the Irish in their win over BC and was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week because of it.
Notre Dame is a storied men’s soccer program with a lot of experience. Head coach Bobby Clark led the Irish the 2013 NCAA National Championship and he holds a .677 winning percentage over 17 seasons in South Bend.
One big thing to watch for in the Friday matchup will be Gallagher versus Krapf. The match is unique as it pits the current ACC Defensive Player of the Week against the current ACC Offensive Player of the Week.
NC State shocked the nation with its upset of Clemson. Two top-five wins in the span of a week would rocket the Wolfpack into the national soccer scene without a doubt. Regardless, the game against Notre Dame will serve as an opportunity for Kiefer and his young team to prove the Clemson match was no fluke, and that State can and will go toe-to-toe with every one of its ACC opponents.
Up next in ACC play following Notre Dame is currently-ranked No. 4 Wake Forest, which means the first three ACC games for the Wolfpack will come against top-five ranked opponents.
Friday’s game will be available to watch on the ACC Network, kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.