Wolfpack, No. 12 Irish to Square Off in ACC Championship First Round

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women's soccer team will begin the postseason with an ACC first-round match against No. 12 Notre Dame Sunday at 1 p.m. at Alumni Stadium, marking its first appearance in the ACC Championship since 2006. The Wolfpack 10-7-1 (4-5-1 ACC) and the Fighting Irish 12-2-4 (7-1-2 ACC) will play for a spot in the ACC semifinals in Charleston, S.C.

A Win Would Be:
The 11th win of the year – most since 1996
The first ACC Championship win since 1995
A trip to the ACC semifinals in Charleston, S.C.
The third win over a ranked team
The fifth win on the road

Scouting Notre Dame:
The Irish hold a share of the regular season ACC title and have won or tied nine of its last 10 matches. Notre Dame has limited opponents to just seven goals for a 0.39 goals against average and has recorded 24 goals for a 1.33 goals per match average this season.

Notre Dame is paced by Jennifer Westendorf, who has 13 points from six goals and one assist. Kaleigh Olmsted is second on the team with 11 points from three goals and five assists. Additionally, six other players have recorded two goals.

Round 1:
Notre Dame ended the Pack's six-match winning streak and four-match shutout streak with a 1-0 win earlier this season in Raleigh. Notre Dame scored in the 38^th minute. The Pack dominated the second half with possession and chances, but was unable to find the back of the net.

ACC Regular Season Recap:
NC State recorded one of its best ACC seasons in recent history this year. The Pack's four wins and 13 points are the most since 1995 and mark only the second time in program history the team has reached at least 13 points and four wins in ACC play.

NC State achieved the feat after going through one of the toughest schedules in the conference, facing every school in the top-six of the ACC standings. Additionally, the Wolfpack faced a tough run of four matches against No. 9 Duke, No. 9 Florida State, No. 8 Virginia and No. 17 Clemson.

Youth Movement:
NC State has achieved its success so far with one of the youngest lineups in the country, regularly starting nine underclassmen. Against Louisville, The Pack started no upperclassmen with seven freshmen and four sophomores.

The team's attack is paced by its youth. Freshmen have scored the last 17 goals, and accounted for 69 percent of the team's points from 21 goals and 18 assists.

Approaching Records:
NC State is close to clinching its best ever RPI since the NCAA began archiving the stat for women's soccer in 2000. The Pack's current RPI of 36 would set a new record, which was previously set in 2011 at 41. NC State's RPI has been within the top 40 for most of the season, including a season-high rating of 20th.

Road Warriors:
The Wolfpack earned three results on the road in ACC play this season, posting two wins and a draw. NC State's 4-3-1 (2-2-1 ACC) away record is one of the best in the conference.

Pack in the Rankings:
NC State is receiving votes in the NSCAA Poll, checking in at 37th in the latest poll and 36th in the current RPI.

Last Time Out:
NC State solidified its spot in the ACC Championship with a 2-1 overtime win against Pitt. Kia Rankin put the Pack up by a goal early in the match before Pitt equalized in the 35^th minute. NC State commanded the pace and attack throughout the remainder of the game, and Tziarra King scored her eighth of the season in overtime to send NC State to the postseason.

Follow Along:
Fans can watch the match on the ACCDNE via WatchESPN and follow along with live stats, Twitter and Instagram.

Wolfpack, No. 12 Irish to Square Off in ACC Championship First Round

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Players Mentioned

Tziarra King

Kia Rankin