North Carolina State University Athletics
2011 Set the Table For Future Success Hopes Wolfpack
3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
March 15, 2012
The 2011 season for the women's soccer team at NC State might be looked back in years to come as the one that set the table for future success for this up-and-coming Wolfpack program.
Last year the club recorded its best record since 2002, and competed for an NCAA Tournament bid right down to the last game of the season, a first in some years for the program.
State also enjoyed the luxury of playing its home matches at the new-and-improved Dail Soccer Field, a complex that went through a complete facelift and is now one of the top stadiums in the country.
There is no question that momentum is building for head coach Steve Springthorpe's program
"We were able to turn the corner and be more competitive within our conference," said Springthorpe. "Outside of our conference we were pretty succesful. We put ourselves in a position were we finished 41st in the RPI, our highest since the NCAA began releasing it a few years ago.
"We pushed our program to a place where at least we're now considered a tournament level team. The team understands what we need to do to be competitive on the national scene."
According to many it appeared that the Wolfpack was one of the last few teams left out of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Top Drawer Soccer - a leading collegiate soccer website - had the team in their bracket and even tweeted after-the-fact that the Pack should have been included in the "Big Dance."
"It's always good to be in the discussion," added Springthorpe. "Towards the end of last season our RPI was always in that bubble range of 35 to the mid-40's. To be on the bubble, for us, was an exciting time. To have a shot was good for a program that hasn't been in that position for some time."
State was on the "bubble" because of its 10-8-2 record, its best in three seasons under the guidance of Springthorpe, and a a final RPI rating of 41. In most cases, a team with a number below 50 is given serious consideration for NCAA competition.
Arguably the best win of the season came against LSU, a strong program out of the Southeastern Conference that would go on to make the NCAAs last fall.
All together, State faced off with 11 clubs that made the NCAA Tournament in 2011 - nine from the ACC. The Pack also played a neutral site match with Penn State.
That number of quality teams isn't lost on Springthorpe, who feels a strong schedule will prepare his teams year-in-and year-out for postseason play.
"When your playing a 19-game schedule you need to have wins," explained Springthorpe. "But at the same time you need to be playing a tough enough out of conference schedule that is preparing you for our league.
"Were going to continue to try and increase our schedule with the level of teams that we are playing. It will prepare us, but we have to win some of those games too."
The 2012 slate includes non-conference games against four teams that made the NCAA Tournament. State will play LSU, Texas and Kansas on the road, and a home date with Boston University.
Momentum is also moving in the right direction with the upgraded facilities that Springthorpe and his staff now have to their disposal. In 2011, Dail Soccer Field saw major improvements including seat-back chairs and bleachers that have significantly upgraded the seating area for fans. Additionally, bleacher seating is also available behind both goals to further enhance the home field advantage for the Wolfpack.
"We are thankful to the administration for seeing the importance of having a top notch facility," said Springthorpe.
A new brick look also encompasses a majority of the upgrades that have been made to the stadium, while a press box, new fan entrance and a brand-new stand alone building in the southeast corner of the stadium provides both the Pack and its competitors meeting and locker room space and showers.
The main women's soccer locker room has also been renovated in the Weisiger-Brown athletic building.
New for 2012 will be the Wolfpack Training Complex (WTC). A lighted facility that features both a grass and turf field with an electronic security system allowing players access to the field when they want to train individually.
And the location couldn't be better, situated just across the street from both the game field, the locker room and sports medicine facility.
"We will now have all our soccer specific facilities within walking distance from each other. Our players will have the ability to train and compete on the best soccer specific surfaces in the country."
Further proof of the groundwork that has been building the last several years is in the statistics. Last year the club recorded a 1.07 goals-against-average, the lowest number in 12 seasons. The Pack's GAA has lowered every year since Springthorpe took over in 2009.
Another comparison in just how close this team is to competing with the very best in the ACC is goal differential. In 10 conference games, the Pack was outscored by an average of just one goal per game, the best number since 2005. And if you take out the 5-1 setback at North Carolina, State was outscored by just six goals in the other nine league games combined.
Entering his fourth year with State, Springthorpe has a strong nucleus of players that are training hard during the current spring semester in preparation for the 2012 season.
"The spring is about improvement of players," said Springthorpe. "You want to see improvement by each individual, then you want the team to show improvement together.
"It's also a time to look at players that will be thrust into a bigger role in the fall. Giving them the opportunity to play and learn together against good competition from our league and other schools in the area. Then when the fall comes they have a better idea of how we want to play."
