North Carolina State University Athletics
Thank You, Seniors!
11/19/2018 2:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
NC State’s graduating senior class played a large role in current success of program
November 19, 2018
RALEIGH – The 2018 NC State men's soccer senior class played an enormous role in transforming the trajectory of the program during the last two seasons in Raleigh. Consisting of Simon Blotko, Stephen Elias, Nick Retzlaff, Tanner Roberts, Christoph Schneuwly, Cjay Sparks, and Ade Taiwo, the senior class helped the NC State men's soccer program achieve a combined record of 18-13-7 and two NCAA Championship appearances following a combined record of 13-18-3 during the previous two seasons.
The recent exciting style of play and positive results on the field, including the achievement of an unbeaten 8-0-3 record at Dail Soccer Stadium in Raleigh in 2018, led to an impressive 38.5 percent increase in home attendance from the 2016 season to the 2018 season. NC State averaged crowds of 1,127 fans per match to rank 22nd nationally in attendance during the 2018 season.
Multiple matches during the season featured standing-room only crowds where no seats were available and spectators sat on grass hills and watched from the walkways. Among the most memorable of these occasions was the Oct. 12 win over No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill when a stadium-record crowd of 3,229 fans packed the facility to witness the Wolfpack's 1-0 victory. More than 500 of the students in the crowd rushed the field at the final whistle, joining the Wolfpack players and staff in a moment of jubilation.
A student-led soccer supporters' group—The Red Terrors—has helped to enhance the energy and atmosphere inside the stadium, frequently leading the rest of the crowd in songs and chants, and also unleashing red smoke after every Wolfpack goal.
"I remember my first day on the job consisted of 22 meetings back-to-back with every single player so that I could hear their stories and get to know them," NC State head coach George Kiefer said. "I quickly learned that each of them had a deep passion for the Red and White of NC State."
"As a staff, we always took the approach that these were our guys. I never understood when coaches took over programs they would say that they need to get their guys in. That made no sense to me. These are young men that wear the Block S and want to win so badly because they care deeply for the program. I'm thankful we took this approach because these guys gave everything they possibly could. We spent a lot of 5:30 am sessions early on creating a value system that we live by to this day. In the end, when it's over and the final whistle blows and you see how much they are hurting, it shows how much it meant to them and how much they put in to restore NC State's success.
NC State's season ended on Nov. 18 in the second round of the NCAA Championship at 11th-seeded Maryland after the Wolfpack achieved many milestones in 2018. The team qualified for its second consecutive NCAA Championship for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons. The Wolfpack earned its first NCAA Championship victory (Nov. 15 over Campbell) since 1994. NC State also recorded its first 10-win season since 2012.
"If you told me when I took the job that we would get to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in year one and two, host two ACC Tournament matches and win one of them, and win an NCAA Tournament match, I think we all would have signed off on it," Kiefer added. "I can't say in words how much this senior class has done for NC State men's soccer. If you look at each of the seniors' human contribution to the program and you own a company that cares about culture and winning, then I would say to get these guys on your payroll."
#GoPack | @PackMensSoccer
RALEIGH – The 2018 NC State men's soccer senior class played an enormous role in transforming the trajectory of the program during the last two seasons in Raleigh. Consisting of Simon Blotko, Stephen Elias, Nick Retzlaff, Tanner Roberts, Christoph Schneuwly, Cjay Sparks, and Ade Taiwo, the senior class helped the NC State men's soccer program achieve a combined record of 18-13-7 and two NCAA Championship appearances following a combined record of 13-18-3 during the previous two seasons.
The recent exciting style of play and positive results on the field, including the achievement of an unbeaten 8-0-3 record at Dail Soccer Stadium in Raleigh in 2018, led to an impressive 38.5 percent increase in home attendance from the 2016 season to the 2018 season. NC State averaged crowds of 1,127 fans per match to rank 22nd nationally in attendance during the 2018 season.
Multiple matches during the season featured standing-room only crowds where no seats were available and spectators sat on grass hills and watched from the walkways. Among the most memorable of these occasions was the Oct. 12 win over No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill when a stadium-record crowd of 3,229 fans packed the facility to witness the Wolfpack's 1-0 victory. More than 500 of the students in the crowd rushed the field at the final whistle, joining the Wolfpack players and staff in a moment of jubilation.
A student-led soccer supporters' group—The Red Terrors—has helped to enhance the energy and atmosphere inside the stadium, frequently leading the rest of the crowd in songs and chants, and also unleashing red smoke after every Wolfpack goal.
"I remember my first day on the job consisted of 22 meetings back-to-back with every single player so that I could hear their stories and get to know them," NC State head coach George Kiefer said. "I quickly learned that each of them had a deep passion for the Red and White of NC State."
"As a staff, we always took the approach that these were our guys. I never understood when coaches took over programs they would say that they need to get their guys in. That made no sense to me. These are young men that wear the Block S and want to win so badly because they care deeply for the program. I'm thankful we took this approach because these guys gave everything they possibly could. We spent a lot of 5:30 am sessions early on creating a value system that we live by to this day. In the end, when it's over and the final whistle blows and you see how much they are hurting, it shows how much it meant to them and how much they put in to restore NC State's success.
NC State's season ended on Nov. 18 in the second round of the NCAA Championship at 11th-seeded Maryland after the Wolfpack achieved many milestones in 2018. The team qualified for its second consecutive NCAA Championship for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons. The Wolfpack earned its first NCAA Championship victory (Nov. 15 over Campbell) since 1994. NC State also recorded its first 10-win season since 2012.
"If you told me when I took the job that we would get to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in year one and two, host two ACC Tournament matches and win one of them, and win an NCAA Tournament match, I think we all would have signed off on it," Kiefer added. "I can't say in words how much this senior class has done for NC State men's soccer. If you look at each of the seniors' human contribution to the program and you own a company that cares about culture and winning, then I would say to get these guys on your payroll."
#GoPack | @PackMensSoccer
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