North Carolina State University Athletics
Men's Soccer to Host Red/White Game
8/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2003
Raleigh, N.C. - The NC State men's soccer team will be in action this weekend, as the Wolfpack will host a Red/White intrasquad game at SAS Soccer Stadium in Cary, N.C., this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The 2003 edition of the Wolfpack will be a young squad with lots of talent at every position, including returning 88 percent of its scoring from last season. NC State has a strong group of upperclassmen who will be looked upon to lead a unit that features 19 freshmen and sophomores. Included in that large number of underclassmen is the freshmen class of last season, one of NC State's best recruiting classes in recent years. The Wolfpack will also welcome in 13 newcomers who all have the ability to log game action from day one.
FORWARDS
One of the biggest areas of improvement last season for NC State was the play of its forwards. The Wolfpack brought in a young duo that helped improved the offense right away with their speedy play up top.
Sophomore Aaron King (Denver, Colo.) wasted little time during his freshman season making a splash in the Wolfpack lineup. King scored his first career goal less then a minute into the first game of the season. King would go on to lead NC State with 22 points and seven goals, and he was second with eight assists. He was the first player to lead the Pack in scoring as a freshman since 1992, and he was the only field player to start all 19 games. His top game of the season came against Charleston Southern when he scored all three of the Wolfpack's goals, including the game-winner in overtime.
Fellow sophomore Bryant Salter (Miami, Fla.) also gained valuable experience during his freshman campaign, as he played in all 19 games making eight starts. Salter finished third on the team with 15 points and was second on the team with six goals, scoring in six different games.
MIDFIELDERS
Sophomore Federico Peria (San Isidro, Argentina) fits the perfect mold of the playmaking midfielder from Argentina. As a freshman, Peria led the team with 11 assists, the eight-best mark in school history and the second most ever by a freshman. Peria also was second on the Wolfpack with 17 points and he also added three goals as he started 17 games and appeared in all 19. Peria scored two goals against East Carolina, and had three assists in the Pack's win over Radford.
Senior Hiroki Kawase (Yokohama, Japan) has one more productive season with the Wolfpack. Kawase has come off the bench in 32 games during his career playing mostly in the midfield.
Sophomore Laye Traore (Ambler, Pa.) saw action in five games of the bench for NC State as a freshman last season. A powerful player, Traore can play in the midfield or as a forward. Haddon Kirk (Winston-Salem, N.C.) redshirted last season, and should help the Pack in the midfield this year.
DEFENDERS
This year's defense will be one of the most experienced groups on the field this season. NC State returns five players who saw significant action on defense last season, a senior, two juniors, and two sophomores.
Senior Chris Gannon (Hauppauge, N.Y.) was a major help for the Wolfpack last season, his first at NC State after transferring from Nassau Community College. Gannon started 10 of the first 11 games of the season last year as a defensive midfielder, but missed the last part of the season with a broken foot. Gannon notched one goal and one assist on the year, both coming in the Pack's win over Radford.
Juniors Justin Branch (Cary, N.C.) and Chiedu Chukwumah (Columbus, Ohio) both have been major contributors for the Wolfpack since they were freshmen. Branch, who has played both marking back and outside midfield during his career, has started 30 of the 34 games during his first two seasons. Branch scored his first career goal in the win over Radford last season. Chukwumah has 30 career starts as a marking back for NC State, and will be one of the Pack's top defenders this season.
Sophomore John Queeley (Denver, Colo.) was yet another of the Pack's talented freshman class last season that made an immediate impact. Queeley started 17 games last year, starting the season in the midfield then becoming the Pack's sweeper. He had one goal and one assist, including scoring the game-winner against Liberty. After redshirting the 2001 season, sophomore Kyle Fragakis (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) came on last season and helped out on defense. Fragakis played in 16 games overall, making nine starts. He scored the game-winning goal against George Washington in the Adidas Tournament at Duke.
GOALKEEPERS
NC State will have to replace a four-year starter in goal in Mitchell Watson. Watson, who played every minute the past two seasons in goal, played in 69 career games and logged 6,346 minutes for the Wolfpack. He leaves NC State as the school's all-time leader in saves with 443 for his career, and also finished his career on a high note being named to the ACC All-Tournament team last season.
The battle to find Watson's replacement will be a heated battle all the way up to the opening game. Sophomore Jorge Gonzalez (Guatemala, Guatemala) has been with the Wolfpack the past two seasons, redshirting in 2001 and he was the back-up last season but did not log any game action. Gonzalez has previous playing experience on the U-17 and U-23 (Pre-Olympic) Guatemalan National Teams.
Also competing for time in the Wolfpack nets this season will be Matt Durrant (Cary, N.C.). Durrant, a local product from Athens Drive High School, transferred to NC State from UNC Greensboro last season, but was forced to sit out most of the year with a hand injury.
NEWCOMERS
NC State will also have the luxury of gaining two very talented forwards with lots of scoring ability. Junior Andy Tabor (Raleigh, N.C.) comes to NC State after playing the two previous seasons at East Carolina. Tabor appeared in 27 career games at ECU, and was a 2002 Regional Player of the Year at local Leesville High School. Freshman Chris Wheaton (Raleigh, N.C.) was a top local prospect a season ago in high school, and will have the opportunity to step into the Wolfpack lineup and contribute right away.
Two players from Argentina will be worth keeping an eye on during the 2003 season. Junior Martin Cini (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Santiago Fusilier (Buenos Aires, Argentina) both look to be yet mote talented players from Argentina that have played for the Wolfpack. Both players can be put up top as a forward, or both players could be put into the playmaking midfield role that ever team needs.
Also vying for time in the midfield will be Ryan Gonzales (Arvada, Colo.) Gonzales finished his high school career with 48 goals and 36 assists, both new school records. Joey Bracker (Massapequa, N.Y.) helped his team to an undefeated season as a senior, and a No. 3 national ranking. Rami Ghanayem (Durham, N.C.) earned all-conference honors three seasons, and was runner-up for conference player of the year as a senior after scoring 10 goals and 11 assists. Kevin Avarette (Raleigh, N.C.) earned first team all-state honors three years, after scoring 118 career goals at the Raleigh Christian Academy.
The Wolfpack defense will get a boost from four talented players this season. Junior Chris Catlett (Cary, N.C.) comes to NC State after playing the two previous seasons at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampton, Va. Catlett started all 20 games as a sweeper last season, and was named all-conference and NSCAA/Adidas All-South second-team. Another local product is David Suffern (Durham, N.C.) Suffern was an all-conference selection at Charles E. Jordan High School his last two years, as his team went a combined 45-4-3. The Wolfpack coaches hope they found another talented player from Colorado in Casey Conner (Denver, Colo.). Conner was named the best defender in Colorado by the Rocky Mountain News, and helped his team won the state title twice. Matthew Lytle (Miami Beach, Fla.) earned first team All-Dade county as a junior and senior, and earned MVP honors in the Miami-Dade County All-Star game.
Goalkeeper Aaron Sanders (Tulsa, Okla.) will add depth in goal for the Wolfpack this season. Sanders was named all-state as a senior in high school after posting a GAA of 0.26. That season his team went a perfect 16-0 and finished the year ranked No. 1 in the Adidas/NSCAA high school national rankings.
THE SCHEDULE
One of the top soccer conferences in the nation, the Atlantic Coast Conference will once again field many of the top teams in college soccer in the 2003 season. Last season, six teams advanced to the NCAA Championships with once school getting the No.1 seed and another school advancing to the Final Four. The ACC also boasted the National Player of the Year, and the No. 1 pick in the MLS draft this past spring.
At home this season, the Wolfpack will host ACC rivals Clemson (Sept. 21), Virginia (Sept. 28), and North Carolina (Oct. 19). NC State will also have the advantage of having the ACC Tournament right down the road. For the second straight year, the ACC Tournament will be played at SAS Soccer Stadium in Cary, N.C., November 13-16.
NC State will kick off its 2003 campaign by hosting the annual Adidas Wolfpack Classic. The Wolfpack will begin the season hosting Georgia Southern on August 30, and then play Liberty the next day. The Wolfpack will also host the Big Four Tournament this season, the fourth year of the event. NC State will host Charlotte on October 24, then host UNC Greensboro on October 26. Other home non-conference this season include: Gardner Webb (Sept. 10), Temple (Sept. 17), Campbell (Sept. 24), Howard (Oct. 1), and UNC Wilmington (Nov. 8).
