After going 0-6-1 in the fall, the Wolfpack men’s soccer team has started to find its footing, going unbeaten in its first two matchups of the spring slate. The Pack starts ACC play in March and will look to continue its fine form through some tough matchups.
Vs. Louisville, March 4
The last meeting between the Pack and the Cardinals was back in September 2019 and ended in a 2-1 victory for the Pack. This matchup will be the first official game for the Cardinals this spring, who last played in November. The Cardinals went 1-6-1 in the fall and 0-3-1 in away games.
Although it has not played a game this spring yet, Louisville had some standout players in the fall. The Cardinals are led by forward Pedro Fonseca, who tallied three goals and two assists in the eight games played, as well as midfielder Elijah Amo, who also managed three goals in the eight played for Louisville.
The Cardinals’ main goalkeeper in the fall was Jake Gelnovatch, who started seven games, notching 24 saves while allowing 18 goals.
The Cardinals will look to turn around their subpar fall with an important game against the Wolfpack.
At Wake Forest, March 13
The Wolfpack and the Demon Deacons met twice in the fall of this season, with the Deacons taking the victory in both matchups. The last meeting between the two squads was in November and ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Wolfpack. Wake Forest had a stellar fall campaign going 7-2 with one of its losses coming in the ACC Men’s Soccer Championship tournament.
In the fall, the Demon Deacons outscored its opponents 18-7, being led by forward Kyle Holcomb, who scored five goals and had one assist in eight games played. The Deacons offense did take a major blow after its fall season, as their other starting forward Calvin Harris was drafted second overall in the MLS Superdraft. His shoes will be hard to fill, as he started all nine games and bagged four goals and two assists. The Wake defense stood out in the nine games they played, keeping four clean sheets.
In goal, Wake Forest will also have to fill a big gap as starting goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg, who started all nine games and had 26 saves, was drafted into the MLS Superdraft to Orlando City FC. The Demon Deacons will most likely rely on either Cole McNally or Trace Alphin between the sticks this season.
At Clemson, March 20
The Wolfpack and the Tigers last played in October 2020, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for the Tigers. In this meeting, the Tigers were ranked third overall in the nation because of their impressive fall slate, in which they finished 8-2-1 and 3-2-1 in the ACC. To cap off their impressive fall, the Tigers also won the ACC Championship. This will be a tough matchup for the Wolfpack considering it will be playing the reigning champions.
The Tigers are led by forward Kimarni Smith, who bagged eight goals and three assists in 11 games, as well as forward Grayson Barber who had a team-high seven assists in the fall.
The Tigers will be looking to repeat their great fall campaign while the Wolfpack will look to change the tides and snatch a victory from the ACC champs.
Vs. Syracuse, March 26
The Orange and the Wolfpack last met in October 2019, with Syracuse taking the 3-0 victory. Syracuse began spring play this season on Feb. 12. The Orange is currently a combined 1-4-3 overall and 0-3-2 in the ACC, with its last result being a 2-1 loss to Bowling Green at the end of February.
This season, the Orangemen have been led by defender Noah Singelmann, who surprisingly leads the team in goals and assists with two and three, respectively. Forward Deandre Kerr also has two goals this season and will look to continue up front.
In goal, Syracuse will be relying on Russell Shealy, who has started five games for the Orange this season. Syracuse will be hoping to turn around its ACC record against the Wolfpack.
