NC State Men's Soccer Takes Big Step
![STOCK | Soccer balls rest on a field before an FHSAA Region 1-7A high school boys soccer playoff between Mandarin and Orlando Boone in Jacksonville, Florida on February 13, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_wolfpack/01k3p0dymwp13v3cf4f7.jpg "STOCK | Soccer balls rest on a field before an FHSAA Region 1-7A high school boys soccer playoff between Mandarin and Orlando Boone in Jacksonville, Florida on February 13, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]")
In this story:
While the revenue sports dominate the news cycle for NC State, one program has quietly climbed the ranks and become one of the school's most elite. Wolfpack men's soccer flew out of the gates in August, dominating the competition through two games.
The program reached a new high under head coach Marc Hubbard. For the first time since 2018, the United States Soccer Coaches Poll placed NC State within the top 10 teams in the country with a No. 8 ranking.
Hubbard's previous high was No. 12 last season, but he never cracked the top 10 with last year's talented squad.
For the first time in seven years - WOLFPACK IN THE TOP-10
— NC State Men's Soccer (@PackMensSoccer) August 26, 2025
Highest ranking with head coach Marc Hubbard at the helm and the highest ranking since 2018. #CarryTheCulture pic.twitter.com/r2m8hHYHE5
How did the Wolfpack climb to No. 8?
The Wolfpack demonstrated its talent emphatically in its first two games. Hubbard's side came into 2025 with high expectations after a 10-5-5 finish in 2024. The team made a run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament as well.
Starting strong was imperative for the Wolfpack in 2025 to prove last season was not a fluke. The team opened with a home match against Queens University of Charlotte last Thursday. Star junior forward Donovan Phillip started the scoring for the Wolfpack with a deep goal from just inside the box in the 22nd minute. NC State finished Queens with another goal in the first half.
Phillip gets things rolling for us 🔥
— NC State Men's Soccer (@PackMensSoccer) August 21, 2025
'22 | #14 NCSU 1, Queens 0#CarrytheCulture pic.twitter.com/bc7RZbeHfi
The 2-0 win was a solid start for the Wolfpack, but the second match was where the team really hit its stride in the early stages of the 2025 season. NC State hosted Wofford on Sunday. Once again, Phillip played the role of the star and did so in record-breaking fashion.
After a goal from junior midfielder Tyler Caton put the Wolfpack up 1-0, Phillip looked to get in on the scoring action. The forward netted his first goal of the game in the 23rd minute. He went on to score two more goals in the following five minutes. His hat trick, which took just over five minutes to complete, was the first for the Wolfpack in seven years.
NC State defeated Wofford 6-0, truly dominating another opponent in the early stages of the season. The 8-0 goal differential through two games put NC State on the radar of national evaluators. With new expectations, NC State will look to prove it's one of the best programs in the ACC.
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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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