North Carolina State University Athletics
No. 12 Men's Soccer Set For ACC Tournament
11/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 8, 2005
Raleigh, N.C. -
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The NC State men's soccer team will face North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament this Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. This years tournament will be held at SAS Soccer Stadium in Cary, N.C. The Wolfpack (11-5-1) finished the ACC regular season in third place with a record of 4-3-1, its first winning record in conference play since 1997. NC State and the No. 6 seeded Tar Heels (13-3-2) will meet for the third straight year in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. In 2003 NC State advanced past UNC on penalty kicks after the two teams went scoreless for 110 minutes, and last season the Tar Heels won 2-0.
NC State in ACC Tournament: Since the ACC Tournament started in 1987, NC State holds an all-time record of 7-14-5 in the event. NC State was the runner-up in the inaugural tournament in 1987 losing to North Carolina in the finals, 4-3.
NC State won the 1990 ACC Tournament, the same year the Wolfpack advanced the the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. That season, NC State entered the tournament with a 3-3 mark in ACC regular season play, but downed Maryland (3-1), Clemson (3-1), and Virginia (2-1) to win the title.
During the fist six years of the ACC Tournament (1987-92), NC State held a record of 7-2-4. The Wolfpack only lost once in the first round (2-1 to Duke in 1989), and was eliminated three times on penalty kicks (the game is recorded as a tie). The Pack's success has changed since then, as NCSU is 0-12-1 dating back to the 1993 tournament. The Pack did advance in 2003, knocking off No. 8 UNC on penalty kicks, then falling to No. 2 Maryland 2-1 in the semifinals. The Pack's last win in the ACC Tournament was a 5-2 defeat of Maryland in 1992.
Series Versus North Carolina: North Carolina leads the all-time series with NC State 41-19-11, including a 8-0-3 mark over the last 11 outings. UNC also leads in games played at neutral sites by a count of 0-3-1. This will be the sixth meeting in the ACC Tournament., with UNC leading 0-4-1.
The two sqauds have met in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals each of the last two years. NC State advanced over UNC in 2003 after the two teams battled to a scoreless tie, then the Pack advanced on penalty kicks. Last season, the Tar Heels ended the Pack's season with a 2-0 win.
Earlier This Year Vs. North Carolina: The NC State men's soccer team pulled out the dramatics in the first conference game of the season, and battled No. 2 North Carolina to a 2-2 tie at SAS Soccer Stadium September 14.
NC State would strike first in the ACC opener for both teams. Junior Santiago Fusilier got control of the ball in the midfield, and just as he reached the 50-yard line, he sent a chip shot over the UNC defense to a streaking King on the left sideline. King corralled the ball and went into the Tar Heel's penalty box. Keeper Ford Williams came out to challenge him, but King slid the ball between Ford's legs for the goal at the 76:37 mark, the first goal given up by UNC on the season.
North Carolina would answer with their first goal in the 84th minute. UNC's Brian Shriver took a shot inside the Pack's 18-yard line, but his shot hit the Pack's Cisse on the arm and the Tar Heels were awarded a penalty kick for a hand ball. Hunter took the shot and tucked the ball into the lower right corner for the goal at the 83:10 mark.
UNC would strike again, with less than a minute left in regulation. NC State was whistled for a foul about 25-yards out. Hunter again stepped up to take the kick, and his shot just went under the cross bar and into the Pack net at the 89:04 mark.
Just as it appeared the Tar Heels would escape with the win, NC State came back and netted the equalizer with less than a second remaining. Senior John Queeley started the play finding Cisse in the midfield. Cisse found King, who dribbled around and launched a shot from 25-yards out. King's shot hit off the cross bar, and Cisse came crashing in and netted the goal with 0:00.5 seconds showing on the game clock.
Both teams battled in the two 10-minute overtime, with UNC winning the shot total 5-1, but neither squad could find a third goal. NC State's Jorge Gonzalez finished with six saves, as his counterpart UNC keeper Ford Williams had one.
Last Time Out: The 12th-ranked NC State men's soccer team used two second-half goals to defeat host Campbell 2-0 last Wednesday night at Buies Creek, N.C. After a scoreless first half, NC State would score in the 73rd and 84th minutes and pitch a shutout over Campbell, for the Pack's fourth shutout of the season.
After almost 75 minutes of scoreless action, NC State would score the eventual gamewinner. Haddon Kirk started the play with a throw-in to John Queeley deep in Campbell territory. Queeley crossed the ball towards the goal, only to have the ball deflected to the top of the 18-yard box. Junior Santiago Fusilier then stepped up and struck the ball after once bounce into the top right corner of the Campbell goal. Fusilier's goal at 72:37 was his first of the season.
NC State would add an insurance goal in the 84th minute. Freshman Ronnie Bouemboue won the ball in the Pack's defensive end of the field and dribbled down the middle of the field right into Campbell's penalty box. Bouemboue then found senior Aaron King inside the box, and King netted his 15th goal of the season at 83:17.
NC State's Jorge Gonzalez finished with six saves for his fourth shutout.
Last Time Out in ACC Play: The 17th-ranked NC State men's soccer team used a strong effort from its four starting seniors and defeated visiting No. 19 Wake Forest 2-1 on the Pack's Senior Day. The Wolfpack used first half goals from seniors Aaron King and Bryant Salter, off assists from classmate John Queeley, to defeat the Demon Deacons in the final regular season game at home.
NC State struck first in just the sixth minute of action. Senior John Queeley won the ball at about midfield on the right sideline. He then played a through ball to classmate Aaron King in the center of the field right outside the 18-yard box. King collected the pass, and took the ball into Wake's penalty box and netted his 14th goal of the season at the 5:16 mark.
The Wolfpack would make it 2-0 with senior Bryant Salters goal in the 26th minute. Queeley once again started this play also once again on the right sideline. Queeley played a ball down the line into space for Salter, who collected the pass and darted into the Wake penalty box. Salter beat the Wake keeper with a shot into the upper left corner at the 25:24 mark.
Wake Forest would come right back and notch a goal of its own just over a minute after NC State scored. Wake's Steven Curfman took a corner kick and sent it to the near post, where Julian Valentin headed the ball in at the 26:50 to close the lead to 2-1.
The score would remain that way into the half, and in the second half Wake Forest pushed players forward but where unable to get the equalizer. NC State's Jorge Gonzalez made a couple key saves late in the game to preserve the win, and he finished with five saves.
Pack Successful in ACC Play: Picked to finished eighth in the preseason ACC poll, the Wolfpack finished with a record of 4-3-1 for third place. This season was the first time since 1997 that NC State had a winning record in conference play, and also marked the highest finish since 1997.
Much of the Pack's success in ACC play this year was in large part due to its 3-0-1 home record in conference games. NC State defeated No. 2 Maryland, No. 19 Wake Forest and Boston College while earning a tie versus No. 3 UNC. Over the last three seasons, NC State has gone 7-1-3 in its ACC home games.
Pack Is Ranked: The NC State men's soccer team finds itself ranked for the seventh straight week this week after finishing the regular season 11-5-1, and a 4-3-1 record in ACC play for a third place showing. NC State checks in at No. 12 in this weeks Soccer America Poll, No. 21 in Soccer Times and No. 22 in College Soccer News. The Pack reached No. 7 earlier this season in Soccer America before the loss at Virginia Tech.
NC State first appeared in the national rankings when the Pack was rated No. 16 back on September 27 by Soccer America, in large part due to the 1-0 upset of No. 3 Maryland. It was NC State's first appearance in the rankings since the last week of the regular season in 1997 when the Pack ended the season ranked No. 16 and No. 18 in two polls.
King Named to All-ACC First-Team, Again: For the third straight season, forward Aaron King was once again named to the All-ACC first-team. He becomes the first player do make the first-team three straight years since goalkeeper Kyle Campbell did from 1994-96, and he is the first field player to do so since Dario Brose did from 1988-1990. He finished the regular season second in the ACC in goals and points per game. He has 15 goals and three assists for 33 points thus far this season, and his 33 points are the most for a Pack player in a season since Roy Lassiter had 40 in 1991. King has scored at least one goal in 13 of the 17 game this season, and has 22 goals over the last 25 game dating back to last season. King currently sits fourth in school history with 44 career goals, and is seventh in career points with 103.
Gonzalez Named to All-ACC Second-Team: Goalkeeper Jorge Gonzalez was also honored by the ACC, making the conference's second-team. Gonzalez has helped lead a stellar Wolfpack defense on the season. He was posted a record of 8-4-1, and has four shutouts. Gonzalez enters the ACC Tournament with a GAA of 1.41, and has made a total of 61 saves. A third-year starter, Gonzalez currently ranks third in NC State history with 17 career shutouts, and sixth in career saves with 235. Last season, Gonzalez was named All-ACC first-team.
Bouemboue Earns All-Freshmen Honors: Freshman Ronnie Bouemboue was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team, the third straight year the Pack has had a member on that squad. Bouemboue has started 15 games for the Wolfpack this season as an outside defender. Thus far, he has tallied two goals and four assists for eight points, fifth on the team. Bouemboue scored both of his goals in the win over Mercer, and has had an assist in each of the last two games leading to wins over #19 Wake Forest and at Campbell. He follows Santiago Fusilier (2004) and El Hadj Cisse (2005) as NC State players to make the ACC All-Freshmen Team.
Pack Against Ranked Teams: NC State has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country this year, having faced 10 ranked opponents in the 18 games of the 2005 season, including the Pack's opening ACC Tournament game against No. x North Carolina. Thus far NC State has gone 4-4-1 in those match-ups, including a 2-2-1 mark against Top-10 foes. UNC will be the seventh ranked foe NC State has faced either on the road or at a neutral site.
The Wolfpack posted a mark of 1-0-2 against teams that were in the top-10 at the time of the game last year. NC State defeated No. 6 Duke, 1-0, at Method Road and tied then-No. 2 Maryland (1-1) at SAS. The Pack also came away with a tie at then-No. 10 Boston College, 0-0.
NC State also had success against ranked foes in 2003, finishing 2-0-1 against ranked opponents in home ACC games. The Pack defeated No. 24 Clemson 2-0, then No. 7 Virginia 1-0, and tied No. 3 North Carolina 1-1.
Pack Road Woes - The Good and Bad: First the good news, NC State got a huge road win at Clemson earlier this year. Now the bad, NC State is just 2-4 on the road overall, including being outscored 10-0 in the last two ACC road games.
NC State's win at Clemson on September 30 broke a long streak of winless games on the road in ACC play, as the win at No. 22 Clemson was the first ACC road win for NC State since 1997, breaking a string of 24 straight losses. It was also the first on the Tiger's home field since 1994 for NC State, and only the sixth win in 23 trips to Clemson. The Pack picked up another road win in the final regular season contest, a tough 2-0 win at Campbell.
Aside from the Pack's win at Clemson, the Pack struggled in its other three ACC road games this season, losing all three and being outscored 12-0 in the process.
King Named National Player of the Week: Senior Aaron King was named the National Player of the Week by College Soccer News in helping the Pack to a 2-0 record the week of October 4. King helped the Pack to a tough 2-1 non-conference win over Charlotte, and then a 2-0 ACC win at Clemson. King recorded his first multi-goal game of the season when he netted two against Charlotte, and then added another goal in the win at Clemson to help the Pack win an ACC road game for the first time since 1997. It was his second straight week on College Soccer News' Team of the Week.
King was also honored for his performances in helping the Pack with wins over No. 3 Maryland and Elon in the last week of September. King was named the ACC Player of the Week and earned a spot on both Soccer America's and College Soccer News' Teams of the Week.
King registered the game-winning goal in the second minute of action to lead NC State to a 1-0 victory over the Terrapins for the Wolfpack's first conference win of the season. Against Elon, he tallied a goal and an assist in leading the Wolfpack to a 3-1 win over the Phoenix.
Duke/adidas Tournament Wrap-Up: When the Pack travels to No. 10 Duke on Friday, NC State will be looking to improve its record of 2-0 on Duke's home field this season. NC State had an outstanding showing in early September in the Duke/adidas Tournament, winning the tournament with a 2-0 record. The Pack defeated No. 7 St. John's 2-1, on Friday night, then came back and beat College of Charleston 3-1, on Sunday. With the two wins, NC State defeated two NCAA Tournament teams from last season.
NC State pulled out a dramatic 2-1 win over No. 7 St. John's in the first game of the Duke/adidas Tournament. Junior Matthew Lytle netted his first career goal with just five seconds remaining for the Wolfpack to complete the second half comeback. After trailing 1-0 at the half, NC State used two goals in the last seven minutes of the game for the non-conference win over national power St. John's. NC State outshot the Red Storm on the day 19-13. Aaron Sanders picked up the win in goal for the Pack, making two saves.
On Sunday, the Pack scored in the 15th minute and added two goals in the second half to defeat College of Charleston, 3-1. NC State had goals from El Hadj Cisse (15th min.), John Queeley (64th) and Aaron King (78th) for the win. Jorge Gonzalez returned to the Wolfpack net, and recorded five saves for his first win of the season. NC State outshot the Cougars 20-13.
The Pack finished with four members on the all-tournament team. Forwards Aaron King and Bryant Salter, midfielder John Queeley and defender Rami Ghanayem were named, and Salter earned MVP honors.
Salter Named to a Couple Teams of the Week: Senior Bryant Salter was named to both Soccer America and the College Soccer News' Team of the Week for his performance in the Duke/adidas Classic. Salter, the tournament's MVP, helped the Pack down No. 7 St. John's 2-1 and College of Charleston 3-1 and capture the title, as NC State was the only team to go 2-0.
Salter had a hand in four of the Wolfpack's five goals over the weekend. Against St. John's, Salter assisted on the Pack's first goal of the game. Salter had an even more impressive day on in the win over College of Charleston, as he was credited with two assists and was fouled on a breakaway that led to the gamewinner.
Last Minute Heroics: NC State fans should be advised to stay in their seats until the final horn, because twice this season NC State has scored in the last seconds of a game.
The Pack downed No. 7 St. John's 2-1, thanks to a goal with just five seconds left. Then in the ACC opener against No. 2 North Carolina, NC State scored the equalizer to force overtime with just fifth-tenths of a second left on the scoreboard. NC State was 1-0-1 in those games.
Must Score to Win: Coach Tarantini loves to say you can't win games unless you score goals. Although that is simple to understand, it could not be more true for the Wolfpack so far this season.
In NC State's five losses this season, the Pack has scored just two goals while giving up 16. On the other hand, NC State has scored 29 goals in the games it has gone 11-0-1. Maybe even more telling than the scoring in games, is the scoring by halves. NC State has just nine first half goals, and scored 22 times in the second 45-minutes this year.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack defense that lead the ACC last year giving up a league-low 19 goals, has only notched four shutout this season. But two of those shutouts were in ACC action, No. 3 Maryland and at No. 22 Clemson - both wins.
