North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
SMU
Women’s Soccer Returns Home for Three-Match Homestand
9/16/2026 11:02:00 AM | Women's Soccer
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State women's soccer returns home to Dail Soccer Stadium for the first of three consecutive home matches, beginning Thursday, Sept. 17, against SMU at 6 p.m. on ACC Network.
The Wolfpack enters its second ACC match at 7-0-2 after opening conference play with a 2-2 draw at then-No. 18 Florida State. The match marked NC State's first contest of the season against a ranked opponent.
NC State looks to remain unbeaten to open the season, as the Pack has yet to drop a match through its first nine contests. The 7-0-2 start marks the program's best start to a season since 1991, when NC State opened the campaign 14-0-0.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' 13th victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 415th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 123rd win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's fifth all-time win over SMU.
- Mark the eighth win of the season for NC State.
- Be the first ACC win of the season for NC State.
Last Time Out
NC State women's soccer played No. 18 Florida State to a 2-2 draw at Seminole Soccer Complex on Friday, Sept. 11, in the team's ACC opener. Erica Roberts and Daisy Duda provided the scores for the Wolfpack in its first league contest of the season.
Roberts gave the Pack a lead less than two minutes into the match, striking a left-footed shot from outside the box to put her team up 1-0, but the Seminoles equalized in the 22nd minute with a header in the box. Duda then broke the tie with a 58th-minute score, capitalizing on a misplay in the box and sending a line drive into the top-left corner to put the Pack ahead, 2-1. The Wolfpack lead did not last long, however, as Shaneil Buckley equalized for the Seminoles in the 65th minute. The teams traded opportunities for the remainder of the contest, but neither could find the game-winner as the Pack earned a point with the top-20 draw.
NC State has now earned draws against FSU in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000. The result also marked the first time since 2022 that NC State has earned a draw or win in its ACC opener.
Scouting the Mustangs
SMU enters Thursday's matchup at 5-2-2 overall and 0-1-0 in ACC play after falling 2-1 at Miami in its conference opener on Sept. 11. The Mustangs had been unbeaten in their previous seven matches, including a 6-0 win over Idaho State to close nonconference play. Brooke Bunton leads SMU with six goals on the season, while freshman Julianne Richter has recorded a team-high six assists, which ranks second in the ACC.
SMU enters its fifth season under head coach Nicole Nelson after posting an 8-8-2 record in 2025, including a 6-3-1 mark at home. In her time with the Mustangs, Nelson has guided the team to 40 wins.
Series History
Thursday night will mark the eighth all-time meeting between the Wolfpack and the Mustangs, with NC State holding a 5-2-0 edge in the series.
The most recent meeting came in 2025, when the teams faced off as ACC opponents for the first time, with the Pack earning a 1-0 win in Dallas. The victory marked Higgins' first league win at the helm of the program.
The Pack welcomes SMU to Raleigh for the first time since 1994, when NC State topped the Mustangs, 5-4, at home.
For the latest on NC State women's soccer, follow @PackWSoccer on social media.
