The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538921
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 ■ 47 mental techniques to make sure you're in that high-performance mindset every single day." Since they took over in Raleigh, every- thing Higgins and his staff have done has been aimed at instilling a culture of suc- cess. After all, it worked at East Carolina, where he led the Pirates to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in just three seasons at the helm. Handling Pressure Higgins has two non-negotiables in his program: passion and intensity. Players are expected to exhibit those traits every day. Whether it's a routine training session or a game, he demands the most from his team. That's how Higgins approached the game during his four-year playing career at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, and he's car- ried that attitude into his coaching career. After getting his start as an assistant on the men's soccer staff at his alma mater, he oversaw the Lenoir-Rhyne women's program for seven years, becoming the Bears' all-time winningest coach with an 83-31-13 record that included an ap- pearance in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2021. His success at the Division II level led him to East Carolina and has now brought him to NC State. Through it all, Higgins has carried himself in the same passionate way. "If I'm doing this the right way, my players should be an extension of how I am," Higgins said. "I just think if you bring passion and intensity to everything you do, you're going to have more chances at success. You care about the place more, you care about each other more, and if you're bringing intensity to the game, then you're making it a lot more difficult on your opponent." Higgins inherited a quality roster at NC State. He only had to bring in five trans- fers this offseason, including junior de- fender Mackenzie Smith, who began her career with the Pack before joining Hig- gins at ECU last fall. Now, Smith is back and has taken a leadership role alongside senior goal- keeper Olivia Pratapas and senior de- fender Brooklyn Holt, with the latter pair having been named the Wolfpack's first captains under Higgins. In addition to the veteran leaders, the first-year coach has been impressed with standout junior for- ward Jade Bordeleau and senior defender Alex Mohr, who is finally healthy after battling an injury last season. With the new coaching staff having spent the previous eight months getting the program headed in the direction they wanted, a preseason match at Liberty served as a crucial measuring stick. Facing a quality opponent, NC State exhibited the new mindset that Higgins brought with him. The result was a 1-1 draw that featured an eclectic group of veterans and young faces making critical plays throughout the match to keep NC State in it. Higgins viewed it as a step in the right direction. "We were under some pressure in that game, and we were able to withstand that pressure," he said. "We could have done better technically, but just the determina- tion and work ethic and willingness to not get beat was definitely a positive." NC State dropped its season opener to James Madison, 3-0, at Dail Soccer Sta- dium on Aug. 14, but it had 6 shots on goal to the Dukes' 5. And when it faced East Carolina on the road three nights later, the Pack rallied for a 1-1 draw, tying the score in the 71st minute on a header by sophomore forward Antonella Mazziotto. Steady Improvement For Higgins, the short-term goal is to stack as many wins as possible against a challenging slate of opponents this fall. His long-term vision for the program is to build the kind of teams that can hold their own against the ACC's best, with an eye toward winning the Pack's first-ever national championship. It will require steady improvement to reach that point, but Higgins believes that he and his staff are capable of meeting the challenge. While the Pack was 0-3-1 heading into its home match against Western Carolina on Aug. 27, there's plenty of optimism about the future. "We understand that there are teams, especially in the ACC, that are definitely ahead of us right now from a talent stand- point, but soccer is not all about talent," Higgins said. "It's about togetherness, organization, passion and doing things the right way together. Hopefully, we can catch up to some of these teams by hav- ing the right mindset and getting after it every day. "If we're playing with passion and in- tensity, then we shouldn't be intimidated by any teams and we should be able to compete with teams. When you do that, you've always got a chance." ■ " If I'm doing this the right way, my players should be an extension of how I am. I just think if you bring passion and intensity to everything you do, you're going to have more chances at success." Higgins Before taking over the NC State women's soccer program, Higgins compiled a 110- 48-28 career record in seven seasons at Lenoir-Rhyne and three at East Carolina. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS