FINAL: VCU 1, NC State 0 (Exhibition)
NEXT: Utah at NC State
Thursday, August 17th at 7 p.m.
Dail Soccer Park
Overall, NC State had the better chances, including a Joseph shot in the first half that hit the crossbar. VCU has the cleanest opportunity, however, as a penalty in the box gave the Rams a PK in the 64th minute.
Joseph did well and it was clear to even the untrained eye that she was the best player on the pitch. She has skillsets that most of the others (both teams) lacked. Her first touches failed her a little more than she or NC State head coach Tim Santoro will have liked.
At times, it looked like NC State struggled with making the final pass to create goal-scoring chances. To be fair, they converted that type of pass four or five times Saturday, and if the forward had finished just two of them the vibe afterward would have been much different.
Santoro announced after the game that senior midfielder Jaiden Thomas -- a player that was expected to be a lynchpin of the midfield for the Wolfpack in 2023 and someone I literally interviewed just days earlier -- will miss the season with an ACL injury.
That led to the midfield being in too much disarray for Santoro's liking. He was not happy with their performance but not ready to throw the babies out with the bathwater (to borrow a Wes Moore expression). He believes the game will slow down for his kids and he expects improvement between now and Thursday's season opener.
VCU is a solid A-10 team and represents good competition for NC State, in that the Rams resemble both a typical non-conference foe and a normal NCAA Tournament first-round foe.
Finally, Santoro is a likable and honest (brutally, at times) man. He is not prone to cliches or hyperbole. He also tends to be succinct but will explain his takes in greater detail if needed without condescension. He is someone who wears his love of NC State on his sleeve. He practically begged for the job when he was hired and sees NCSU as an ultimate destination and not a stopgap. He believes that with time, care, and investment, the Wolfpack women's soccer program can (and will) win titles and he has taken NC State to the cusp of elite status (right now, it is one of the better programs but has room to grow).
I will be working several NC State men's and women's soccer matches this season as IPS looks to expand its coverage of the Wolfpack in 2023-24 and beyond. Expect more game wraps like this in the forums and some articles on The Beautiful Game. I look forward to it.
NEXT: Utah at NC State
Thursday, August 17th at 7 p.m.
Dail Soccer Park
Overall, NC State had the better chances, including a Joseph shot in the first half that hit the crossbar. VCU has the cleanest opportunity, however, as a penalty in the box gave the Rams a PK in the 64th minute.
Joseph did well and it was clear to even the untrained eye that she was the best player on the pitch. She has skillsets that most of the others (both teams) lacked. Her first touches failed her a little more than she or NC State head coach Tim Santoro will have liked.
At times, it looked like NC State struggled with making the final pass to create goal-scoring chances. To be fair, they converted that type of pass four or five times Saturday, and if the forward had finished just two of them the vibe afterward would have been much different.
Santoro announced after the game that senior midfielder Jaiden Thomas -- a player that was expected to be a lynchpin of the midfield for the Wolfpack in 2023 and someone I literally interviewed just days earlier -- will miss the season with an ACL injury.
That led to the midfield being in too much disarray for Santoro's liking. He was not happy with their performance but not ready to throw the babies out with the bathwater (to borrow a Wes Moore expression). He believes the game will slow down for his kids and he expects improvement between now and Thursday's season opener.
VCU is a solid A-10 team and represents good competition for NC State, in that the Rams resemble both a typical non-conference foe and a normal NCAA Tournament first-round foe.
Finally, Santoro is a likable and honest (brutally, at times) man. He is not prone to cliches or hyperbole. He also tends to be succinct but will explain his takes in greater detail if needed without condescension. He is someone who wears his love of NC State on his sleeve. He practically begged for the job when he was hired and sees NCSU as an ultimate destination and not a stopgap. He believes that with time, care, and investment, the Wolfpack women's soccer program can (and will) win titles and he has taken NC State to the cusp of elite status (right now, it is one of the better programs but has room to grow).
I will be working several NC State men's and women's soccer matches this season as IPS looks to expand its coverage of the Wolfpack in 2023-24 and beyond. Expect more game wraps like this in the forums and some articles on The Beautiful Game. I look forward to it.
Twitter: @RobMcLamb
