North Carolina State University Athletics
Men's Soccer Downed by Wake Forest, 2-1
10/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Raleigh, N.C. (Oct. 8) - In unseasonably cold weather, the NC State men's soccer team fell to Wake Forest 2-1, on Oct. 8 at the Method Road Soccer Complex.
In a defensive battle that saw few shots on goal for either side, Wake Forest (6-3-1, 2-1 ACC) used two goals from senior Ben Stafford win its first ACC game on the road. NC State (1-7-3, 0-3 ACC) was shorthanded on the day, but battled back as the Pack tried to tie the game late.
Stafford first struck in the 36th minute when Adam Hakes fed him down the line, and Stafford tucked the ball into the far corner of the NC State goal. The Demon Deacons went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
Stafford gave Wake Forest a 2-0 lead when he scored an unassisted goal at the 53:15 mark. The goal was Stafford's 10th of the season, and came after a scramble in front of the NC State goal.
The Wolfpack responded and got the game down to a one goal deficit in the 74th minute. Nick Olivencia started a NC State rush down the field and fed a ball to Lee Baldwin in the corner. Baldwin's cross to the near post found freshman Scott MacNeill, as MacNeill scored his third goal of the season with both Olivencia and Baldwin picking up the assists.
NC State had a chance to tie the contest just four minutes later, when the Wolfpack was awarded a penalty shot. Olivencia took the kick, but Wake Forest's Rob Vartughian made a diving save right on the post.
NC State was without the services of starters Mitchell Watson and Matt Tabor. Watson missed the game due to a family emergency, while Tabor served a red card suspension.
Senior Kenny Gregson stepped into goal for Watson, and finished with two saves, including a spectacular diving save midway through the second half. Wake's Vartughian also finished with two saves, and both teams combined for just 18 shots on goal.
NC State will next host Duke on Oct. 15 at 2:00 p.m.
Wake Forest 1 1 - 2 NC State 0 1 - 1
Scoring:
Wake's Stafford from Hakes at 35:39
Wake's Stafford unassisted at 53:15
NC State's MacNeill from Olivencia and Baldwin at 73:49
Shots:
WFU 11 (Stafford 3), NCSU 7 (Baldwin 4)
Saves:
WFU 2 (Vartughian 2), NCSU 2 (Gregson 2)
Corner Kicks:
WFU 13, NCSU 4
Fouls:
WFU 13, NCSU 14
