#24 NC State set to Play #21 Louisville Tonight

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women’s soccer team will face Louisville Thursday night at the Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium in a matchup between teams that are both ranked in the latest Soccer America poll.

No. 24 NC State enters the contest with a 9-3-0 (3-1-0 ACC) record and have won eight of the last nine matches. The No. 21 Cardinals enter with a 7-3-2 (2-1-1 ACC) record and have won four of the last five. Both team’s only ACC loss came from one-goal decisions against Notre Dame. The ACC foes are also both averaging over two goals per match.

Louisville holds a 2-1-0 overall record against the Pack with the last win coming from a 1-0 decision in Raleigh in 2015.

A Win Would Be:

The second win over Louisville in program history – first since 1999

The 10th win of the year – most since 2011

The fourth ACC win of the year – most since 1995 and only the second time in program history

The third win over a team ranked in the Soccer America poll

The third ACC road win – a first since 1996

The third consecutive ACC win – a first since 1996

Scouting Louisville:

Louisville is outscoring its opponents 24-11 and averaging two goals per match. The Cardinals are also getting plenty of shots off and are ranked top-15 in the nation in total shots and shots per game.

Seven players have scored at least two goals for Louisville this season. Brooklynn Rivers leads the attack with four goals and two assists for 10 points. Gabrielle Vincent and Kaela Dickerman have both recorded three goals this season, which is tied for second in the Louisville attack.

Pack In the Polls:

NC State moved up in the RPI and NSCAA Poll after a road win against Boston College last weekend. The Pack is No. 21 in the RPI and is receiving 22 points in the NSCAA Poll – good for 27th in the nation. The team is ranked 21st in HeroSport’s Bennett Rank, 24th in the Soccer America Poll and 27th in Top Drawer Soccer’s Poll.

Freshmen Phenoms:

NC State freshmen have scored the last 11 goals for the Wolfpack and accounted for 67 percent of the team’s points from 17 goals and 16 assists. The group also accounts for six starters and eighth point scorers. In total, 10 freshmen have earned playing time for the Pack this season.

Lockdown Defense:

The Wolfpack backline and goalkeeper Sydney Wootten have been exceptional this season and earned five shutouts, including two shutouts on the road during ACC play. Wootten tallied a seven save performance, as the backline and the keeper helped hand Boston College its first home defeat of the season in the last match. Wootten earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the performance – marking her second recognition of the season from the conference.

Tough Road Ahead:

NC State is currently in the middle of its toughest stretch of the schedule, facing nine consecutive opponents either ranked or receiving votes in the NSCAA or Soccer America Poll. It will also go through a stretch of four straight matches against the four highest ranked teams in the conference when it faces No. 9 Duke, No. 2 Florida State, No. 8 Virginia and No. 12 Clemson.

Last Time Out:

The Pack continued its breakout season with a 1-0 victory over Boston College on Sunday afternoon at the Newton Campus Lacrosse and Soccer Complex. Ricarda Walkling scored in the sixth minute to give NC State the decisive goal after getting her own rebound twice and blasting the third chance past the BC keeper.

Follow Along:

Fans can follow the match through a live broadcast on the ACCDNE via WATCHESPN, live stats, Twitter and Instagram.