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NC State Set to Play #9 Duke Tomorrow
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women’s soccer team faces a quick turnaround, as it returns home to welcome No. 9 Duke to Dail Soccer Stadium for a 7 p.m. Sunday night match. The Wolfpack (9-3-1, 3-1-1 ACC) enters with a three-match unbeaten streak in ACC play. Duke (10-2-2, 4-0-1 ACC) has shutout its last four ACC opponents and enters the matchup with three consecutive wins.
A Win Would Be:
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 first over Duke since 2000 and an end to 14 straight for the Blue Devils in the series
The third win over a team ranked in the Soccer America poll
The second win over a top-10 team this season
A four-match unbeaten streak in ACC play – a first since 1995
Scouting Duke:
Duke enters the match scoring 2.54 goals per game – good for the nation’s 10th best offense. The Blue Devils are ranked top-10 in the nation in shots, points, goals and assists. Duke is outscoring its opposition 33-10 and is led in the attack by Imani Dorsey and Ella Stephens, who have both tallied six goals this season.
The Blue Devils’ defense is holding opponents to 0.77 goals per match and just eight shots per contest. The defense hasn’t allowed a goal in four matches, a streak that has spanned 401 minutes.
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.
Moving Up the Table:
NC State has moved into a tie for third place in the ACC behind Notre Dame and Duke. The Pack and FSU are tied with 3-1-1 records in the conference. Virginia, North Carolina and Clemson sit just behind the Pack with 2-1-2 records.
Road Warriors:
NC State has earned three results on the road in ACC play this season, posting two wins and a draw. NC State’s 4-1-1 away record is the best in the conference.
Youth Movement:
NC State started seven freshmen and four sophomores against Louisville, marking its first time this season without an upperclassman in the starting lineup. Freshman have accounted for the last 12 Wolfpack goals. Overall, the group has totaled 18 goals and 16 assists for 68 percent of the team’s points.
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 last week. The goalie tied her season-high with eight saves in the match against Louisville.
Wootten earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the performance on Oct. 4th – 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. The schedule gets no easier with a stretch of four straight matches against the four highest ranked teams in the conference, as it faces No. 9 Duke, No. 2 Florida State, No. 8 Virginia and No. 12 Clemson.
Last Time Out:
NC State battled to a 1-1 2OT draw at Louisville on Thursday night to extend its ACC unbeaten streak to three matches. Kristina Schuster scored NC State’s only goal of the night off a shot from the top of the box in the 50th minute. In its second straight ACC road match, the Wolfpack backline had another good performance and did well to prevent the Cardinals from producing many concrete chances in the run of play. Wootten recorded eight saves in the contest. The Pack’s attack caused issues for Louisville defenders throughout the match and placed 10 shots on goal.
Follow Along:
Fans can follow the match through a live broadcast on the ACCDNE via WATCHESPN, live stats, Twitter and Instagram.