With conference playoffs off to a rocky start for the Wolfpack women’s soccer team, it’s critical to understand where the team stands statistically. Let’s look at the team’s stats, its leaders and where the team can improve. 

Stats outlook

NC State has been outshooting its opponents consistently since the beginning of the season, averaging 3.1 shots and 2.33 shots more on the goal per game. The Pack’s shooting percentage is .149 compared to its opponents’ .110. With 11.2 shots and 1.67 goals per game, the NC State offense has been putting in the work but hasn’t been seeing those wins that it should be getting as of late. 

Statistically speaking, NC State seems as though it would be dominating, and against certain lower-quality opponents, it’s doing that just fine. Even when just looking at the numbers against ranked teams like then-No. 10 South Carolina and then-No. 11 Penn State, the Pack held its own throughout the games but was unable to capitalize on its offensive opportunities. 

Player leaders

Sophomore forward Jameese Joseph leads the team in four statistical categories: goals, with four, points, with nine, shots, with 27 and shots on goal with 10. Joseph alone accounts for 37 of the team’s 101 total shots, as well as four of the team’s 15 goals.

Freshman defender Brianna Weber and sophomore midfielder Jaiden Thomas lead the team with a .500 shot percentage. Freshman defender Cara Elmendorf and freshman forward Mia Vaughan lead the team with a .667 shot on goal percentage. 

Freshman goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta has been defending the net extremely well so far this season. She’s averaging an allowance of .86 goals per game, with a .667 save percentage. Echezarreta has put up 16 saves this season and allowed eight goals.  

Improvement

The Pack obviously has some improvements to make as it approaches some high-ticket teams on its schedule. Joseph can’t be everywhere at once, despite how much of an asset she is to this offense. The team needs to be capitalizing on its high number of total shots with more accuracy, as well as keeping Echezarreta in the net so she can keep improving on a solid foundation she’s built for herself.

The Pack has already played three ranked teams, No. 25 Georgetown, No. 8 Penn State and South Carolina, the latter of which is no longer ranked. The Wolfpack only lost by two combined goals to both Penn State and South Carolina and even managed to tie Georgetown.

NC State will play against Clemson next, who received 62 votes in this week’s NCAA Coaches Poll, which puts Clemson very close to being one of the top-25 teams in the nation. Additionally, Clemson is on a four-game win streak.