Wolfpack Closes Exhibition Slate Saturday at VCU

August 19, 2016

Match 00 - (RV) VCU

RALEIGH – The NC State men's soccer team closes exhibition play Saturday afternoon at VCU. Kickoff between the Wolfpack and Rams is set for 5 p.m. from SportsBackers Stadium in Richmond, Va.

FOLLOW THE WOLFPACK ALL SEASON LONG
Beginning Sept. 2, 12 of NC State's 17 regular season matches will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.

PHOTO GALLERY: August 18 Training Session

SERIES HISTORY
-NC State and VCU have never met in an official match throughout program history.
-Saturday's match is an exhibition and will not count towards any official records.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
-VCU posted a 7-10-4 record last season and advanced to the Atlantic 10 championship match before ultimately falling to league winner Dayton.
-The Rams are receiving four votes in the 2016 NSCAA preseason poll, ranking them 34th in the nation.
-VCU returns its two leading goal scorers from the 2015 season, Rafael Andrade Santos (5) and Jorge Herranz (5).

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Including both exhibition matches, the Wolfpack's 2016 schedule features nine teams ranked or receiving votes in the August 2 NSCAA Top-25 Poll. Throughout the season, NC State will play No. 3 Clemson, No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 6 Syracuse, No. 8 UNC-Chapel Hill, No. 11 Boston College, No. 21 Coastal Carolina, (RV) VCU, (RV) Radford, and (RV) Elon.

FIRST EXHIBITION
NC State opened exhibition play at No. 21 Coastal Carolina on August 15. The Wolfpack took a 1-0 lead on a Simon Blotko goal with a Travis Wannemuehler assist, but ultimately lost the match after taking a 1-1 scoreline into the halftime break.

WELCOME TO THE PACK
NC State welcomes 11 newcomers to its roster of 29 student-athletes for the 2016 season:
Goalkeepers: Nick Cournoyer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Defenders: Harry Adanuty (Cary, N.C.), Jake Dykes (Sligo, Ireland), Adrian Gahabka (Passau, Germany), Reece Riggins (Clearwater, Fla.).
Midfielders: Jan-Luca Ahillen (Meppen, Germany), Francesco Casucci (New Mexico), Nikolas Grundseth (Kernersville, N.C.), Maximillian Lüftl (Furstenstein, Germany), Lukas Zarges (UNC Greensboro).
Forwards: Bryant Nardizzi (Framingham, Mass.)

EXCELLENCE OFF THE PITCH
The NC State men's soccer team recorded a very strong team grade point average during the 2016 spring semester, coming in at 3.49 and placing 11 students on the NC State Dean's List.

2015 SEASON RECAP
During the 2015 season, the Wolfpack posted an 8-6-3 mark, finished with the No. 33 RPI in the nation, and earned a 2-3-3 mark against teams ranked in the national Top 25. NC State tied No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 7 Notre Dame, and defeated No. 15 South Carolina and No. 16 Boston College.

NC State spent six weeks of the regular season ranked in the national polls, climbing as high as 20th.

RAMOS ENTERS NC SOCCER HALL OF FAME
On January 30, 2016, former NC State great Tab Ramos was inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame. A three-time All-American at NC State, Ramos recorded 31 goals and 42 assists throughout his career. He entered the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.

#GoPack

Wolfpack Closes Exhibition Slate Saturday at VCU

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Players Mentioned

Harry Adanuty

Jan-Luca Ahillen

Simon Blotko

Francesco Casucci

Nick Cournoyer

Jake Dykes

Adrian Gahabka

Nikolas Grundseth

Bryant Nardizzi

Reece Riggins

Travis Wannemuehler

Lukas Zarges