No. 7 Georgetown men’s soccer (14-3-4, 6-0-2 BIG EAST) will face the No. 15 North Carolina State University Wolfpack (14-2-4, 4-1-3 ACC) on Friday, December 5, at 6:00 pm EST on Shaw Field. Both teams will fight for a place in the NCAA College Cup, the semifinals of the NCAA Soccer Tournament. For the Hoyas, Friday’s game will also be a chance at revenge for last year’s NCAA Tournament loss.
Last fall, NC State defeated Georgetown 2-0 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, ending the Hoyas’ season with a disappointing loss. Both of last year’s Wolfpack goalscorers will return for Friday’s game, looking to find the net again at Shaw Field.
One of those goalscorers from last year, junior forward Donavan Phillip, is a player Georgetown will need to be wary of. Phillip is currently second in the nation in goals scored, with 17 on the season. Phillip, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, is one of the most clinical strikers in the nation, and he told US Youth Soccer that his goal for this season is to make it to the final four of the NCAA Tournament.
Another player who will play a key role in the Wolfpack offense is senior midfielder Taig Healy, who assisted both goals in last year’s matchup. This season, Healy leads NC State in assists from the attacking midfielder role, but he can also chip in goals, as he did in the Wolfpack’s Third Round win over the University of North Carolina Greensboro Trojans (12-5-6, 3-2 Southern Conference). Against the Trojans, NC State found a great deal of success attacking down the right side and firing the ball across for Healy and Phillip–the two goalscorers in that game.
Last, but certainly not least, NC State boasts the statistically best defense in the country, conceding just 0.35 goals per 90 minutes of play just 7 goals on the season. Sophomore defender Nikola Markovic, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the back line for the Wolfpack. At 6’4”, Markovic is an imposing presence and an intelligent, skilled defender.
Markovic and Co. will be tasked with stopping Georgetown’s offense, a unit that has scored 2.38 goals per 90 minutes of play—good for sixth in the nation. The standouts in the Hoya attack are sophomore forward Mitchell Baker and senior midfielder Zach Zengue, each with 14 goals this season. Zengue and Baker will have a tall task breaking down the Wolfpack defense, but they have proven their mettle throughout this season.
Ultimately, Friday’s matchup will come down to execution. Both teams bring strong records and deep rosters, so either team is capable of winning and advancing to the College Cup. However, in my view, Georgetown has the right formula to succeed.
The Hoyas will need to be sharp defensively, but they have only failed to score twice this season— Georgetown simply has too much attacking talent for any team to hold off for 90 minutes (or 110 minutes if the game goes to overtime). NC State is a strong pressing team, but their game against UNC Greensboro showed that if teams break the Wolfpack press, they can find good chances to score. The Hoyas have the right tools to break the press, and clinical finishers who can put away the chances they create. Zengue and Baker have put the most goals in the net, but their offense is a well-oiled machine that works because the whole team is organized and tactically intelligent.
I predict the Hoyas will prevail 2-1 in a thrilling overtime match. Despite the Wolfpack’s best-in-the-nation defensive record, Georgetown’s offense has proven their capabilities this whole season. The Hoyas also boast a strong defensive unit that is up to the tall task of stopping Phillips and the Wolfpack offense. My prediction will be put to the test on Shaw Field at 6:00 pm on Friday, in what will, regardless of outcome, be Georgetown men’s soccer’s last home game of the season.
