North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Looks to Get Back on Track
10/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 14, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -
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NC State will look to get back on track and put an end to its string of bad luck recently. The Pack will host No. 11 Florida State at noon on Sunday, Oct. 17, at Method Road. NC State enters the contest with an overall record of 7-5-2 and is 1-5-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Wolfpack is winless in its the last four ACC contests. The Seminoles are coming off a 1-1 tie at No. 23 Maryland Wednesday evening. FSU is 10-3-1 overall and 3-2-1 in the ACC and sits in fourth place among the 10-team rankings. The Seminoles lead the series, 4-3-2.
The Wolfpack fell to No. 10 Duke in recent action this past Tuesday, 3-0. After holding the Blue Devils scoreless the entire first half, NC State allowed three second period goals. The loss extended NC State's losing spell to four matches. A win on Sunday betters NC State's chances of avoiding the play-in game. However, NC State will need to win at least two of the remaining three matches to do so. A NC State win on Sunday and a Wake Forest loss to visiting Maryland will tie the Pack and Demon Deacons for eighth place. The Wolfpack and WFU meet at SAS on Friday, Oct. 22.
"Florida State is a quality team," said NC State head coach Laura Kerrigan. "They have continued to build on their success from a year ago after advancing to the College Cup."
Entering Sunday's match, NC State's senior midfielder Erin Griswold leads with 19 points and seven goals. She also has five assists, as does sophomore midfielder Carol Tognetti, good for second on the squad. Senior forward Anna Helenius has a team-best six assists. The Finland native also has six goals, just one shy of Griswold. The Pack's goalkeeper, sophomore Megan Connors, has played well in the last four ACC matches, tallying five or more saves in that time. Against Duke she stopped 12 balls to improve her career-high after recording nine against No. 2 North Carolina two weeks prior. Connors has totaled 46 saves and allowed 14 goals for a 1.14 goals against average. The Pack will need to get its offense going against the Seminoles. In the last three matches, NC State has accumulated just 12 shots in the last three outings, one of which resulted in a lone goal at Maryland on Oct. 8.
The Seminoles have not lost since an Oct. 1, match at then No. 14 Duke, 2-0. Since then Florida State has picked up three wins, including a 1-0 victory over then No. 22 Wake Forest and a 1-0 take of Virginia Tech on Oct. 10. In recent action, FSU took No. 23 Maryland to a 1-1 tie on Oct. 13. The Seminoles are led by sophomore forward Julie Schnugg and senior midfielder Jen Ratliff. Schnugg has a team-high 13 points, while Ratliff has 12. Both have scored a team-high five goals. Sophomore defender Kelly Rowland has wracked up seven assists, the most of any FSU player and fifth in the ACC. Senior Joy McKenzie has been Florida State's go-to goalkeeper, having played in all 14 matches. She has tallied 44 saves and allowed 10 goals.
Next week, NC State hosts No. 21 Wake Forest on Friday, Oct. 22, at the SAS Soccer Stadium, 7 p.m.
