The No. 21 NC State women’s soccer team pulled off a 3-1 upset victory over the No. 7 Georgetown University Hoyas thanks in part by a two-goal performance by Wolfpack senior Tziarra King.
The Pack’s (1-1-0) resilience shone in the match against a top-rated Georgetown team (1-1-0) that before the Wolfpack’s win had put together a 24-game unbeaten streak at home.
Georgetown knotted the first goal off a corner kick in the 33rd minute, but the Pack wasted no time in finding an equalizer. After a foul inside the box awarded a penalty kick to NC State, sophomore transfer Toni Starova buried the chance and tied up the score only 43 seconds after the initial Georgetown tally.
While the first half seemed to showcase a pretty even matchup between the two teams, the second was a different story. NC State came out flying from the whistle putting on multiple shots and a corner kick in the first few minutes of the second half.
The pressure paid off in the 51st minute as King picked up the first of her two goals. Senior Ricci Walkling was awarded an assist as her shot from the top of the box deflected off of a defender’s foot and found its way to King who placed a well-aimed shot right between the legs of the Georgetown goalkeeper.
The Wolfpack did not slow down and managed to break through again as King picked up her second goal of the match in the 71st minute of play. Sophomore Anna Toohey brought the ball down the right side of the field and passed it up to senior Kia Rankin. Rankin dribbled the ball away from a few defenders and threaded a pass through the box to a charging King who put the Pack up 3-1.
The score would be easily held as the Wolfpack’s determination had secured them the victory holding Georgetown without a shot on goal for the entirety of the second half of the match.
The Wolfpack’s win is a showcase of its skill and ability to compete against a top-rated team, as it hopes to put together a potential streak of its own as it heads into the third of its four-game road trip Friday, August 30 against Monmouth.
