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Wolfpack Men's Soccer Into Sweet 16 for Second Straight Season

NC State moved into the Sweet 16 with a big win over Marshall in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Tucker Sennett|
NC State men's soccer
NC State men's soccer | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — After finishing the 2025 season with an impressive 12-2-4 record, NC State men's soccer earned a 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament after bowing out of the ACC Tournament with a loss to Syracuse in the second round of the event.

The 15-seed earned the Wolfpack a home game and a bye in the first round. The second round came Sunday against the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Wolfpack was able to work its way by the Herd with a clinical 2-0 victory to move into the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season, continuing the upward trajectory of the rising program.

Inside the Victory over Marshall

NC State struck early to give itself a cushion to work with for the rest of the game. It relied on a set piece to take the lead, as it had done all season long under head coach Marc Hubbard. In the final two minutes of the first half, defender Riley Moloney fired in a corner kick that was punched by the Marshall keeper.

However, the ball found the head of ACC Offensive Player of the Year Donavan Phillip, who slammed the ball into the back of the net for the first goal of the evening for the Wolfpack. As the team had done all season long, it relied on the elite defense and play of goalkeeper Logan Erb from there on, waiting for another opportunity to pounce if it became available.

Not too deep into the second half, another corner kick opportunity came for the Wolfpack. Moloney again found himself in the position of taking the corner and booted the ball from there with some serious bend. The kicks flew just beyond the outstretched arm of the Herd's keeper and into the back of the net, giving Moloney a rare 'Olympico' goal and NC State a 2-0 lead in the game.

With significant room to work with, the Wolfpack pinned its ears back the rest of the way and waltzed into the next round of the NCAA Tournament with some confidence.

Looking forward

NC State is set to face a familiar foe after getting a win in the second round of the event. UNC Greensboro outlasted Elon in a penalty shootout in the opening round and did the same thing to No. 2 seed Virginia in the second round, earning an opportunity to face the Wolfpack in Raleigh in the Sweet 16.

The Spartans and the Wolfpack met in late October, with the game ending in a draw. This time, the Wolfpack will be looking to finish the fight and get a chance to play in the Elite Eight. That matchup is scheduled for Sunday at 6 P.M. EST.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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