NC State
3-2-0, 0-1-0
#2 Clemson
5-0-0, 1-0-0
NC State Falls Short to #2 Clemson in ACC Opener
9/10/2021 9:36:00 PM | Men's Soccer
RALEIGH – The NC State men's soccer team (3-2-0, 0-1-0 ACC) opened its competitive ACC slate on Friday night, falling short to No. 2 Clemson (5-0-0, 1-0-0 ACC) by a 2-0 score at Dail Soccer Stadium.
The Wolfpack matched up well against one of the nation's best and the reigning ACC Tournament champion. Each team tallied 13 shots on the night, and NC State owned a lot of the momentum in the second half with the 9-5 shot advantage in the period.
"Playing this type of team is a good part of the process," said head coach George Kiefer. "I think there were segments where we were on top of them. To create four or five good looks against one of the best teams in the country shows you there's some progress."
After 34:08 of scoreless action, Clemson struck first in the 35th minute after drawing a free kick 30 yards out. Leon Krapf made the diving save on Hamady Diop's initial shot that went bottom left, but Oskar Ågren tapped in the rebound for the score.
The Pack closed out the first half with the final three shots, forcing Clemson goalkeeper George Marks to make saves on attempts by Kuda Muskwe and Pablo Pedregosa, but the Tigers maintained the one-goal lead at the break.
NC State carried its momentum into the second half by posting the first seven shots of the period. As the Pack continued attacking, Marks was once again forced to make some saves to keep NC State off the board, including a spectacular stretch to deflect a shot by Henrique Santos in the 52nd minute.
In total, six of NC State's 13 shots were on target. The Wolfpack's pressure was well-distributed as eight different players took shot attempts, led by Pedregosa and Muskwe's three apiece.
Clemson doubled its lead in the 71st minute after 25 minutes of dominant possession by the Wolfpack. Ousmane Sylla sent a ball over to John Martin to the right of the box. Martin centered a ball that brushed off the hand of a diving Krapf, and Clemson's Isaiah Reed corralled it on the left side and put away the Tigers' second goal of the night.
NC State plays the final game in its season-opening home stretch on Tuesday, Sept. 14 when it hosts James Madison. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Dail Soccer Stadium, and it will be aired live on ACCNX.
#GoPack | @PackMensSoccer
Team Stats
Oskar ?gren (3)
Assisted By: Hamady Diop
GOAL by CLEM ?gren, Oskar Assist by Diop, Hamady.
34:08
Isaiah Reid (4)
Assisted By: John Martin , Ousmane Sylla
GOAL by CLEM Reid, Isaiah Assist by Martin, John and Sylla, Ousmane.
70:30
