The NC State men’s soccer team returns home to take on ACC foe No. 21 Notre Dame on Friday at 6 p.m. The Wolfpack will look to build off an impressive 2-1 road win over No. 17 Louisville this past weekend. 

The Fighting Irish (5-3-1, 0-3  ACC) are coming off of a tough three-game stretch, with losses to No. 3 Virginia and No. 14 North Carolina and a win over Michigan State. 

The two teams have not met since 2017, with Notre Dame taking a convincing 3-0 win in South Bend. The Wolfpack will look to notch its first-ever win against the Fighting Irish, as it trails the all-time series 0-2-1. 

The NC State offense has had a balanced attack led by junior defender Jamie Smith, junior midfielder David Loera and sophomore forward Kuda Muskwe, each with two goals. Smith also leads the team in assists with three on the season. 

The Wolfpack’s defense has been stingy, only allowing eight goals on the season. The defense has been led by Smith and senior goalkeeper Vinnie Durand, who is taking over for the injured junior Leon Krapf. Durand has amassed 13 saves on the year and is only allowing 0.88 goals per game.

The Fighting Irish’s attack has been led by forward Jack Lynn who has four goals and one assist. The Notre Dame offense has been able to find the back of the net, scoring 13 goals over the first nine games, but the defense has struggled. Goalkeeper Duncan Turnbull has totaled 16 saves on the season but is allowing 2.11 goals per game. 

The Wolfpack offense will need to come out hot and attack the Fighting Irish’s porous defense, and keep the intensity for the eternity of the game. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. at Dail Soccer Field, and the game will be televised on the ACC network.