Women’s Soccer Set To Open Season In Oregon

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RALEIGH – The NC State women's soccer team is set to open its season in Oregon this weekend, as the Wolfpack will play Oregon Friday then travel to Portland Sunday.

Both matches are set for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff. Live stats will be available for both contests while the Oregon match will be broadcast on the Pac-12 network and the Portland match will be streamed on TheW.TV.

SERIES HISTORY
Friday will mark the third time NC State and Oregon have met in program history, with the record being 1-1-0. The last time the squads met was on Sept. 4, 2015 at Dail Soccer Stadium, and the Wolfpack earned a 2-0 victory.

Sunday will mark the fourth time the Pack has faced Portland, as the Pilots hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. They last met on Aug. 24, 2014 in Raleigh and Portland came away with a 2-1 win.

WOLFPACK/DUCKS CONNECTION
Oregon's head coach, Kat Mertz, is a graduate of NC State's soccer program (1994-97). She tops the program's record book in career goalie saves with 436 and ranks among the top 10 in shutouts (24), matches played and started (88). She helped the Wolfpack to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances including the quarterfinals in 1995.

PRESEASON TOP 25
NC State checked in at No. 23 on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top 25 poll, which was released on Monday. The Wolfpack is one of seven Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams ranked in the TDS preseason poll, joining No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Duke, No. 9 UNC-Chapel Hill, No. 14 Notre Dame, No. 19 Virginia and No. 21 Clemson. The Pack is slated to face all but UNC-CH in conference play this fall.

EXHIBITION SLATE
NC State hosted High Point and Wake Forest in exhibition matches at home last week to prepare for the 2017 season.

High Point Recap | Wake Forest Recap

SCOUTING THE DUCKS
Oregon finished the 2016 season with an 8-10-2 record and returns 15 letterwinners and nine starters to this year's squad. The team's front line returns intact and the defense has one opening from last season due to graduation.

The Ducks, who were recently picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 preseason poll, have 10 newcomers and 16 upperclassmen that help make up a 31-player roster.

SCOUTING THE PILOTS
Portland returns 14 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season, and welcomes a recruiting class that was ranked No. 28 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The Pilots additionally return seven of their eight leading goal scorers from last season after compiling a 9-7-3 record.

Portland drew 1-1 in its exhibition match with Oregon at home on Aug. 12 and will host Portland State in its season opener Friday.

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