The Wolfpacker

Nov.-Dec. 2020

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ■ 45 "I was over the moon," Muskwe said. "I was ecstatic when that ball hit the back of the net. Not just because of the fact that I had scored, but also the fact that I had been sitting out a year and the coaches put so much belief in me." Not playing during his first season with the program was difficult for the Leices- ter, England, native. Muskwe had spent the previous four years as a member of Rother- ham United, a club that currently plays in the second tier of English football league system. It was there where Muskwe developed his work ethic on the pitch as a teenager. "When I first walked in, it was a wake-up call because when I signed I thought, 'I'm here, I've made it,'" Muskwe recalled. "But now I was playing with people who aren't playing for development [teams] anymore. "They're playing because this is their job, this is their wage, this is what they get paid to do. Everything just meant more." After multiple seasons of competing amongst professionals in the high ranks of English soccer, Muskwe decided to move to the United States, where he would pursue a college degree and further develop his game at NC State. "I was sold when I FaceTimed the coach- ing staff and spoke to them all separately," Muskwe said. "The passion that they have — it's not just about us as a player, they want good people. You look around our team, it's good people. "People that have good values, core val- ues. Coming into the team you're a good person first, and then you're a player." Sitting on the sidelines in his first sea- son, however, was not the plan the 6-2, 177-pounder had in mind when he made the decision to play at the collegiate level in an unfamiliar place. "That year that I sat out, that was a really big year for me personally," Muskwe ex- plained. "You can imagine when you're not involved on the team — you're involved in training, but you're on the bench on game day. "When you feel like you have something to offer, it's quite hard to sit out." Just like his first experience four years earlier when he began his stint with Rother- ham, being forced outside of his comfort zone yielded some of his best results. After pouring in countless hours of extra work during his first season, Muskwe became one of the most valuable players on the Wolfpack as a sophomore. The match-winner in his debut against Loyola was the first of a team-best four in 2019 for the striker. He also tied for the squad lead with five goals in NC State's 9-7-3 campaign. Although Muskwe has only appeared in four of the team's first six games during this COVID-shortened season, he still paces the squad in shots (seven), and is tied for the lead in points (two) and goals (one). Producing points is one of the primary duties for his position, and Muskwe has been determined to become the go-to guy in the biggest moments for his team after he was finally afforded the opportunity to play the field. "When it's tight and we're looking for where's the goal going to come from, that really just gets me going," Muskwe said. "I want to be the one to put the ball in the back of the net. I want to be the person my team looks towards as a leader, on the field and off of it. "When we are in those moments, I want to be the one that's looked towards to get it done." Developing the physical tools to compete at the highest levels comes from countless hours of training, and Muskwe attributes his clutch gene to his confidence in that preparation. "You just don't give up, you keep grind- ing away until you get something," he said. "Hard work always pays off, that's some- thing that my dad always told me. You al- ways keep working. "I have missed a number of opportunities before, but you just pick yourself, go on to the next one, keep grinding and don't stop working until that clock ends." ■ CLUTCH STRIKER Junior Men's Soccer Player Kuda Muskwe Aims To Keep Proving He Can Be Counted On In The Big Moments " When it's tight and we're looking for where's the goal going to come from, that really gets me going. I want to be the one to put the ball in the back of the net. … When we are in those moments, I want to be the one that's looked for to get it done. " Muskwe BY JUSTIN H. WILLIAMS fter sitting out his entire freshman season, it didn't take long for junior striker Kuda Muskwe to make his pres- ence known in year two. Making his Wolfpack debut in the 2019 season opener, Muskwe scored his first collegiate goal in the 67th minute. It turned out to be the game-winner of a 2-1 NC State victory over Loyola. A

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