RALEIGH – Though starting off slow, the Wolfpack women’s soccer team remained calm, hustled hard, and conquered the 2-1 victory over Louisville sending them to the ACC championship.
Battling on tough balls in the air, accommodating free kicks from fouls, missing shots, and playing through injuries, the contest between the Cardinals and the Wolfpack was a tough challenge that could have gone either way with the competitive skill levels of both teams.
Before the game started, it being the last game of the season, the Wolfpack held their senior night honoring seniors Harley James, Jackie Stengel, Rachel Cox, Cailyn Boch, Karina Lacey, and Dakota Stephens for their dedication to the team throughout their careers at NC State.
The Cardinals did a very good job of heading the ball, but didn’t spread the field out like NC State did. Almost every goal kick, throw in, and ball in the air was won by the away team; however, the Wolfpack continuously switched the field and passed the ball in the backfield to spread out players and slow down the pace of the game. From the start, it seemed as if the Cardinals were rushed and scrambled to get the ball in the net. Just in the first half, they shot six times on goal although Wolfpack goalie, Sydney Wooten, only let one through in the second half.
The contest between the teams was aggressive and tumultuous until the end. There were nine free kicks from both teams throughout the match rooting from nothing but hard work in order to win over the ball.
In the second half, things were getting heated up between the teams, while the Wolfpack scored two goals and the Cardinals with one. Midfielder Tziarra King was the only scorer for the Wolfpack with assists from Walkling and Henshall. Between King’s two goals, Louisville midfielder Gabrielle Vincent scored with 10:23 on the clock with assist from Ferraro.
Overall, the match between the Cardinals and Wolfpack was an impressive attempt for competitors, but the Wolfpack strived for a win for the ACC tournament and was victorious. With the 2-1 win over Louisville, the Wolfpack will advance to the first round of the quarterfinals. The game will be hosted at NC State on Saturday the 29th at 1PM, being the first playoff game at Dail Stadium in the school’s history.