The NC State men’s soccer team hosts No. 3 Clemson under the lights at Dail Soccer Stadium Friday night at 7 p.m.
Coming off a shocking upset loss at the hands of Syracuse in upstate New York, the Wolfpack (8-4-3, 3-3-1 ACC) is in a dogfight with Louisville for third place in the ACC while the Tigers (13-1-1, 5-1-1 ACC) are just one point ahead of Wake Forest for first place in the division.
NC State has stagnated as of late, with just one win, a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Elon, in its last five games. The Wolfpack is 1-2-2 the last three weeks, and in the season finale, a win over a top-ten team would be a huge boost entering the ACC Tournament.
Meanwhile, Clemson has been unbeatable the last month, with a 5-0-1 record in its last six games. The Tigers are riding a four-game winning streak in which they have scored a whopping 19 goals.
Clemson’s high-powered offense will be the biggest test of the year for the NC State defense. Although the Wolfpack is conceding just 1.2 goals per game, Clemson is scoring an NCAA-leading 3.8 goals per game.
The Tigers are led offensively by a three-headed attack of midfielder Robbie Robinson and forwards Kimarni Smith and Grayson Barber. Robinson leads the team with 14 goals and 36 points, while Smith and Barber are second and third on the team, respectively, in goals and points. Smith has tallied 13 goals and 29 points while Barber has scored eight goals and assisted on seven for 23 points.
Clemson is also no slouch defensively either. Led by goalkeeper George Marks’ 26 saves and 0.667 save percentage, the Tigers are allowing an even one goal per game. NC State’s anemic offense will have to capitalize on its opportunities if it wants to break through on the scoreboard.
Sophomore forward Kuda Muskwe leads the Wolfpack offensively with four goals and nine points, while junior midfielder David Loera is right behind him with three goals and eight points. The discrepancy between the two offenses is so large that Muskwe’s team-leading nine points would rank only ninth on Clemson’s roster.
NC State’s strong defense is led by junior captain David Norris, and is backed up in goal by redshirt senior keeper Vinnie Durand. Durand has racked up 27 saves this season and has a stellar 0.643 save percentage.
NC State is in desperate need of at least one point if it wants to stay in the top three in the ACC Atlantic, but the dominant Clemson attack will be a 90-minute test. A win would give the Wolfpack a huge momentum boost heading into the ACC Tournament, but another loss would leave the Pack limping to the finish line.
The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.
