The NC State men’s soccer team drew Boston College 0-0 to end its spring season. The tightly contested came to a head in OT as two Boston College players were shown red cards in the extra periods.
This game was the last of this season for both squads, the Wolfpack (3-8-4, 1-7-4 ACC) who have had an underwhelming season was looking to close out the campaign on a positive note, while the Eagles (1-3-1) looked to boost its record and snatch a home victory in the season closer.
After having its match against Syracuse postponed last weekend, Boston College came into this contest having played only four total matches between the fall and spring sessions of this season. The Eagles opted out of fall play and have only faced four opponents this spring, all of which have been ACC matchups.
On the other hand, the NC State Wolfpack competed in both sessions and have played a total of 10 more matches than its opponent, so the squad was hoping to use its experience this season to gain the upper hand.
The Wolfpack continued its trend of defensive-minded play, as it prevented yet another ACC opponent from scoring, but had trouble on the offensive side of the ball.
The first opportunity of the game came for the Eagles in the seventh minute when midfielder Amos Shapiro-Thompson rattled off a shot to the low center. NC State redshirt junior keeper Leon Krapf was able to save the attempt rather safely.
On the other end, the Wolfpack’s first scoring chance came in the 13th minute, when junior midfielder Aidan Foster was played in and took a close-range shot. Unfortunately for the Pack, it was blocked cleanly by Eagles midfielder Alex Mieles.
The Eagles made Krapf work a bit more when once again, Shapiro-Thompson was able to put a shot on goal, but much like the first opportunity, the keeper fell on it safely.
The Wolfpack managed its first and one of only two shots on goal of the entire game in the 40th minute after freshman midfielder Tal Segev was awarded a freekick just outside the 18-yard box. Boston College goalkeeper Christian Garner was able to handle the shot successfully, and made his first and only save of the contest.
The match was back and forth for the whole first 45, but neither team was able to put its chances in the back of the net. Both teams seemed to be quite evenly matched and registered similar stat lines.
The second half was much like the first, with both squads having chances, but not taking advantage of them.
Boston College had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 50th minute when the side was awarded a free kick in a dangerous area. Midfielder Kristofer Konradsson sent in a brilliant curling ball that was able to reach the diving head of forward Stefan Sigurdarson. The shot was just wide of the post and the game was kept level.
The next chance for the Wolfpack came from a powerful header from junior midfielder Alex Hernandez in the 55th minute, but the attempt was unable to reach its target and did not challenge the BC goalkeeper.
In the second half, the Wolfpack registered a total of five shots, with zero being on goal, while the Eagles tallied four total shots, and again had zero on frame. Regular time ended 0-0, the second goalless tie for the Wolfpack in just as many games, and the third in its last five games.
The frustration of so many chances with no result seemed to impact both teams heading into overtime. This was made abundantly clear by the fouls both sides were committing. The Eagles committed a total of 20 fouls while the Pack registered 15. Finally, the frustration boiled over for the Eagles, when with five seconds left in the first period of overtime Wil Jacques was given a red card. The period ended goalless.
The second period of overtime mirrored the first, with both teams showing little threat in front of goal, and when with only a few seconds left in the entire game, another Boston College player was sent off, this time being Sigurdarson.
Neither team was able to capitalize on its opportunities, and as this wild and frustrating season came to a close, it was clear emotions and tempers were high. The game ended with the Wolfpack having two more players on the field than Boston College, but one couldn’t tell that from the box score, which displayed two almost identical sides.
The Wolfpack finished the season with three wins and eight losses and will most likely look back at its last few games as defensive victories.
