NC State
UAB
Wolfpack Men’s Soccer Opens Spring Slate Against UAB Saturday
2/19/2021 10:18:00 AM | Men's Soccer
LIVE STATS | STREAMING
RALEIGH – The NC State men's soccer team returns to the pitch to continue its season as it hosts UAB on Saturday night at Dail Soccer Stadium. Kickoff between the Wolfpack and the Blazers is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the match can be streamed live on ACCNX.
Due to health and safety recommendations and current state guidelines, attendance at NC State men's soccer home competitions is limited to a pass list of player and coach guests only. No tickets are available to the general public.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
• Be the 529th win in program history (528-461-99)
• Be the 190th victory in Kiefer's career (189-112-62)
• Be Kiefer's 28th win at NC State (27-25-11)
SPRING SLATE
Spring competition serves as a continuation of the 2020 fall season, with the team's records and statistics being carried over and combined to form one overarching campaign. The Pack will play an eight-game slate over the next two and a half months, featuring six ACC contests and a pair of non-conference matches.
TRACKING THE PACK (0-6-1, 0-5-1 ACC)
• Went 0-6-1 overall and 0-5-1 in conference play during the fall portion of its season
• Earned its first result and points of the year with a scoreless draw at then-No. 5 North Carolina on Nov. 1
• A total of 21 players made appearances for NC State in the fall, with five of those marking Wolfpack debuts. Five players have been named starters for the first time in their NC State careers this season.
• The Wolfpack's 53 shot attempts have been distributed among 14 different players, led by eight strikes from Kuda Muskwe.
• Goalkeeper Leon Krapf earned a shutout victory over the Tar Heels in that fall matchup. It marked NC State's first time not conceding a goal since a 0-0 2 OT draw at Duke on Oct. 19, 2019.
• NC State's three goals in the year have come from the feet or heads of three different players - Muskwe, Alex Bautista and Ivy Brisma.
NEW FACES
The Wolfpack lost senior captain David Norris to graduation at the end of 2020, but NC State welcomes the addition of three players from the 2021 signing class. The Pack welcomed Vusumzi Plamana, Yaniv Bazini and Luke Hille to Raleigh at the start of the semester. The trio is part of a signing class that is currently ranked No. 5 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
DRAFTED
Senior midfielder George Asomani was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2021 MLS Draft in January. He was drafted in the second round with the 39th overall pick. Asomani will compete with the Pack in the spring before moving on to his professional career.
SCOUTING UAB
• UAB enters the spring portion of the year with a 1-6-0 record. It took on three nationally-ranked opponents in the fall, which included two ACC teams.
• The Blazers' sole victory came in their season opener when they won a 3-2 decision over Central Arkansas on Sept. 19, 2020.
• Joseph Buete leads the team with two goals, seven shots and three shots on target. Four other members of the squad found the back of the net in the fall.
• Goalie Caelan Whitehead played all seven games in the fall, with a goals against average of 2.80 and a save percentage of .617.
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday marks the third overall meeting between NC State and UAB. The series record is tied at 1-1.
• This match will be the first between the two teams on the Pack's home field. It is also their first time meeting since Sept. 10, 1995, a neutral-site match that NC State won by a 6-1 score.
UP NEXT
NC State will make the trip to Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, Feb. 24 to take on VCU before stepping back into conference play in March.
#GoPack | @PackMensSoccer
