NC State Continues Historic Season Against Santa Clara in Sweet 16

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PALO ALTO, Calif. – For the first time in the current NCAA Championship format, the NC State women's soccer team has advanced from the opening round of 64 to the Sweet 16. The Pack previously advanced to the third round three other times when the tournament featured 12 teams in 1988 and 1989 and 24 teams in 1995.

The Pack will play Santa Clara Sunday at 4 p.m. ET at Cagan Stadium in Palo Alto with the opportunity to clinch its spot in the NCAA Elite 8. Santa Clara knocked off No. 1 overall seed Stanford with a golden goal in double overtime. The Wolfpack advanced with a 1-0 win over No. 19 Pepperdine in the round of 32.

NC State enters the match with an 11-8-2 record and two straight shutouts over conference champions, while Santa Clara comes into the match with a 11-6-4 record and six-straight victories.

Series History:
Santa Clara leads the overall series 1-0-0. The Broncos took down the Pack in 1989, winning 3-0 at Santa Clara.

A Win Would Be:
The 12th win of the year – most since 1995
A spot in the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1989 and the first in the current tournament format
Tied for the most NCAA Championship matches ever played in a single season in program history
The first ever win over Santa Clara

Scouting the Broncos:
Santa Clara comes into the match on form with eight wins from its last 10 matches. The Broncos have wins over No. 7 USC and No. 1 Stanford and have earned draws against No. 4 BYU and No. 11 Notre Dame. The battle tested group is outscoring opponents 27-17.

Jordan Jesolva leads the Broncos with 22 points from nine goals and four assists. Maddie Gonzalez is also a threat in front of goal with 13 points from five goals and three assists. Four other players on the roster have scored at least twice this season, while 10 players have recorded at least one goal.

200 Minutes:
NC State hasn't allowed a goal in the NCAA Championship through two matches. The defensive play has limited opponents in the final third and the shutout streak is up to 200 minutes during NCAA play.

Battle Between the Unseeded:
NC State and Santa Clara are both unseeded, marking the only matchup in the tournament without a top-4 seed playing in the regional final.

History:
Picked to finish 13th in the ACC, the Pack shocked the nation with a breakout season. For the first time in 20 years, NC State advanced to the NCAA Championship. The regular season was highlighted by wins over ranked opposition and its second best ACC wins and points totals in program history. NC State also advanced to the ACC Championship for first time since 2006.

Offensive Firepower:
NC State is up to 33 goals this season - more than the last two seasons combined. The Pack has eight multi-goal scorers this season, while 13 players have at least a goal or assist. NC State is averaging 1.57 goals per game.

Balance on the Backline:
Goalkeeper Sydney Wootten and defenders Hannah Keogh, Ella Bonner, Cailyn Boch and Kristina Schuster have led a poised defensive unit all season. The group has dropped NC State's GAA to 1.02 and earned seven shutouts, including two over top-10 opponents. The unit also went 463 minutes without allowing a goal - a streak that spanned six matches and produced four straight shutouts earlier this season.

Facing the Champions:
In one of the toughest schedules in the nation, the Pack has faced five conference champions this season. NC State has faced ACC regular season champion Notre Dame, Big 10 regular season and tournament champion Minnesota and WCC champion Pepperdine in its last three matches. The Wolfpack is 1-1-1 against the trio and has only allowed one goal during its last three matches.

A Historic Result:
NC State advanced into the second round of the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1995 with a penalty shootout win over No. 8 Minnesota. The Pack played Minnesota to an even score after 110 minutes before taking down the Golden Gophers on penalties. It marked the Pack's second result over a top-10 opponent this season and eighth win or tie against teams ranked or receiving votes.

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 45 would set the second-best mark in school history. The team finished 220th in the RPI in 2015.

Last Time Out:
NC State booked its spot in the Sweet 16 with a 1-0 victory over No. 19 Pepperdine. Taylor Porter headed home the goal in the 65^th minute to help the Pack advance.

Follow Along:
Fans can watch the match through Stanford's Pac 12 Portal or follow along with live stats, Instagram and Twitter.

NC State Continues Historic Season Against Santa Clara in Sweet 16

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Players Mentioned

Cailyn Boch

Ella Bonner

Hannah Keogh

Taylor Porter

Krissi Schuster

Sydney Wootten