October 11, 2019

 

RALEIGH – Despite controlling large portions of the match and generating more scoring chances than its opponent, the 20th-ranked NC State men’s soccer team (7-3-1, 3-2-0 ACC) endured just its third defeat of the season on Friday evening, falling to sixth-ranked Wake Forest (10-2-0, 4-1-0 ACC) by a final score of 3-1 inside Dail Soccer Stadium.

 

NC State appeared to take a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute after a corner kick by senior Tyler Gabarra took a few deflections inside the penalty area and Jamie Smith smashed it into the back of the net. The goal was called off immediately by the officiating crew, denying the Wolfpack a first-half advantage.

 

Shortly after the teams came back from the halftime break, junior captain David Norris narrowly missed putting NC State up a goal with a sharp header following a Gabarra corner kick service in the 48th minute.

 

Against the run of play, Kyle Holcomb put Wake Forest up 1-0 in the 73rd minute with an accurate shot off the left post and into the net from 10 yards away following an assist from teammate Tater Rennhack.

 

The Wolfpack pulled level in the 76th minute after a strong spell of possession led to Ivy Brisma crossing a dangerous ball into the middle of the penalty area. Pepe Garcia ran on to the cross and hit it first-time toward the target, but a Wake Forest defender got a hand on it, resulting in a penalty for the Wolfpack. Gabriel Machado stepped up and emphatically put the penalty away to make it 1-1.

 

The Demon Deacons would reclaim the lead in the 85th minute on a Bruno Lapa rebound finish. Aristotle Zarris hit a hard shot toward the far post that Vincent Durand dove to parry aside, but the rebound spilled to Lapa and he finished it first-time. Lapa then scored his second of the evening in the 90th minute on a similar play, stealing the ball from a Wolfpack defender and this time finishing his own rebound after Durand made another save on the first of his two shots in rapid succession.

 

Match Notes

-NC State outshot Wake Forest by a 10-9 margin.

-Durand’s four saves in Friday’s match marked a new single-match career high.

-Friday’s match marked NC State’s first regular-season ACC loss at home since Sept. 23 of the 2017 season.

-The Wake Forest goal in the 73rd minute ended the Wolfpack’s 258-minute streak of not conceding a goal.

 

NC State will play its next two matches on the road. The Wolfpack will visit South Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and will then play at 21st-ranked Duke on Friday, Oct. 18.

 

#GoPack | @PackMensSoccer