Looking to improve the chances of making the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years, the NC State women’s soccer team will take on Florida State Saturday at 3 p.m. at Dail Soccer Stadium.
Coming off a 3-1 loss Sunday night to then-No. 9 Duke, the Wolfpack (9-4-1, 3-2-1 ACC) will try to rebound against the Seminoles (9-2-2, 3-1-2 ACC). This will be no easy task, however, as Florida State is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation and has one of the best goalkeepers in the country.
Historically, the Wolfpack is 3-16-2 against the Seminoles all-time, with the last win coming back in 1998. Last season, the Pack fell to Florida State by a score of 4-0 in Tallahassee.
The Seminoles are coming off a winless week in which they lost to Boston College and tied Syracuse on the road. Florida State’s trip to Raleigh will be the last stop on its four-game conference road swing.
The Wolfpack will be seeking its 10th win overall and fourth conference win. Achieving 10 overall wins in a season would be the most for the program since 2011, and a fourth conference win would be the most since 2005.
The Wolfpack has seen a significant improvement over the last two years, as it won a combined six games to go along with no conference wins. An influx of talented freshmen and sophomores combined with the experience and leadership of seniors Rachel Cox and Gladys Loyas have helped NC State reach its best season in recent memory.
If NC State is able to pull off a win, it will likely be from the contributions of their younger players. Freshmen Tziarra King, Kia Rankin and Ricarda Walkling have each logged a team-high 11 points this season while starting all 14 games thus far.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Wootten has played admirably for the Pack, starting all 14 games this season and recording 58 saves, giving her the fourth-most in the ACC. Wootten has also logged five shutouts this season, the fifth-most among conference goalkeepers this year. She was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 19 and Oct. 4.
The Seminoles’ defense will be a major challenge for NC State on Friday. Florida State’s goalkeeper Cassie Miller leads the ACC with seven shutouts and a 0.38 goals against average. The most goals given up by Florida State in a single game this season is two and it has only given up four total goals this season, compared to the Wolfpack’s 14 goals against.
The Seminoles will look to get on the board early, as they have done repeatedly this season. Of their 22 goals this year, 14 of them have come in the first period. The Wolfpack, on the other hand, tends to score in the latter half of matches as it has recorded 18 of 28 goals in the second period.
The Seminoles have also outshot opponents this year to a tune of 225-85. The Wolfpack owns a 192-142 ratio, so shots will be in abundance for both teams Friday.
A win against Florida State would go a long way in solidifying NC State’s place in both the NCAA Tournament and the ACC Tournament. The last time the Wolfpack appeared in the NCAA Tournament was 1996 and its last ACC Tournament appearance was 2006.
Look for lots of shots and stingy defense from both teams during the match. With just four games left to go in the season for the Wolfpack, this matchup will have significant implications on the ACC standings and NCAA Tournament picture.
The remainder of the schedule for NC State is no cakewalk, as two of their four remaining opponents are ranked in the top 15. The Wolfpack hopes to continue its breakthrough season Friday as it faces Florida State.
