Recap
NC State men's soccer tops Boston College 2-0 in conference opener
Wolfpack men's soccer opened ACC play with a bang, defeating Boston College 2-0 thanks to blue-collar defense and relentless attacking.
From the start, the NC State (3-2, 1-0 ACC) viciously attacked the opposing defense, racking up 15 total shots during the match. After 24 minutes, the Pack netted its first goal of the night. Senior forward Junior Nare drilled a shot past the keeper to give NC State an early advantage over the Golden Eagles (2-2-1, 0-1 ACC).
"I'm looking forward to watching it again," said head coach George Kiefer. "Junior cut in and roped into the side of the net… It came off of being mature and connecting passes in the box."
To set up the score, , the Pack did an excellent job of spreading the ball around to get the right shot. The Wolfpack kept the ball out wide, before threading it inside for shots, leaving the defense vulnerable.
"We did a lot of studying on them and knew that we were going to be able to hurt them out wide," said junior forward Luke Hille . "We got a fantastic goal early on, which gave us the momentum."
After seizing an early lead, NC State continued its aggressive offensive approach but was unable to capitalize, heading into the half only up by one. However, it seemed the Wolfpack had every opportunity to extend the lead, posting 10 shots throughout the first half.
"I thought there were periods where we were really good, but were a little bit unlucky," Keifer said. "I think there were good chances created… I just think we could have managed it a little bit better."
The Pack eventually pulled away when a last-minute goal from Hille iced the game. Scrambling near midfield, Hille pulled away from the rest of the action and slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback.
"It was a broken play that I just capitalized on," Hille said. "I just kept going, did a couple moves, a little chop inside and just let one fly. It ended up in the back of the net for a 2-0 win."
While the goals get most of the attention, NC State's suffocating defense was the key to victory. The entire team has taken on the blue-collar mentality that Kiefer preached before the season, especially on defense. The Wolfpack defenders take pride in their role and are well respected by their teammates.
"Every weekend those guys are throwing their bodies on the line," Hille said. "They're gritty, they're tough and they're not going to back down."
The relentless effort on defense resulted in only one shot on goal from the Eagles all night long. The Pack's defense kept Boston College out of the final third for most of the match, which led to a 15-4 shot advantage.
"It's been showing all season long in terms of the partnerships and competing," Kiefer said. "It looked like guys were throwing themselves at it and that will win you a lot of college soccer games alone."
The Pack will try to keep its momentum going when it takes on Howard on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Dail Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/nc-state-men-s-soccer-tops-boston-college-2-0-in-conference-opener/article_3fd66a24-4eb8-11ee-bde3-efee4f50fdb7.html
NC State men's soccer tops Boston College 2-0 in conference opener
Wolfpack men's soccer opened ACC play with a bang, defeating Boston College 2-0 thanks to blue-collar defense and relentless attacking.
From the start, the NC State (3-2, 1-0 ACC) viciously attacked the opposing defense, racking up 15 total shots during the match. After 24 minutes, the Pack netted its first goal of the night. Senior forward Junior Nare drilled a shot past the keeper to give NC State an early advantage over the Golden Eagles (2-2-1, 0-1 ACC).
"I'm looking forward to watching it again," said head coach George Kiefer. "Junior cut in and roped into the side of the net… It came off of being mature and connecting passes in the box."
To set up the score, , the Pack did an excellent job of spreading the ball around to get the right shot. The Wolfpack kept the ball out wide, before threading it inside for shots, leaving the defense vulnerable.
"We did a lot of studying on them and knew that we were going to be able to hurt them out wide," said junior forward Luke Hille . "We got a fantastic goal early on, which gave us the momentum."
After seizing an early lead, NC State continued its aggressive offensive approach but was unable to capitalize, heading into the half only up by one. However, it seemed the Wolfpack had every opportunity to extend the lead, posting 10 shots throughout the first half.
"I thought there were periods where we were really good, but were a little bit unlucky," Keifer said. "I think there were good chances created… I just think we could have managed it a little bit better."
The Pack eventually pulled away when a last-minute goal from Hille iced the game. Scrambling near midfield, Hille pulled away from the rest of the action and slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback.
"It was a broken play that I just capitalized on," Hille said. "I just kept going, did a couple moves, a little chop inside and just let one fly. It ended up in the back of the net for a 2-0 win."
While the goals get most of the attention, NC State's suffocating defense was the key to victory. The entire team has taken on the blue-collar mentality that Kiefer preached before the season, especially on defense. The Wolfpack defenders take pride in their role and are well respected by their teammates.
"Every weekend those guys are throwing their bodies on the line," Hille said. "They're gritty, they're tough and they're not going to back down."
The relentless effort on defense resulted in only one shot on goal from the Eagles all night long. The Pack's defense kept Boston College out of the final third for most of the match, which led to a 15-4 shot advantage.
"It's been showing all season long in terms of the partnerships and competing," Kiefer said. "It looked like guys were throwing themselves at it and that will win you a lot of college soccer games alone."
The Pack will try to keep its momentum going when it takes on Howard on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Dail Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/nc-state-men-s-soccer-tops-boston-college-2-0-in-conference-opener/article_3fd66a24-4eb8-11ee-bde3-efee4f50fdb7.html