The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543694
TRACKING THE PACK 14 ■ THE WOLFPACKER The NC State men's soccer team rolled through the NCAA Tournament last fall en route to its first-ever appearance in the national championship game. Although the Wolfpack ultimately lost to Washington, 3-2 in overtime, the postsea- son joyride inspired plenty of optimism about the program's future under coach Marc Hubbard. Now comes the hard part. NC State must replenish its roster if it's going to make a return trip to the College Cup this com- ing season. Heading into Year 3 of Hubbard's coaching tenure, the Pack must replace the nation's leading goal scorer and top defender, with Donavan Phillip and Nikola Markovic both opting to turn professional. Markovic, notably, was the No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United. In the meantime, NC State has a spring practice and five- match exhibition schedule in the Carolina Cup to use as a building block for the upcoming season. Here are the high- lights of a recent Q&A with Hubbard. What is your approach this spring to build off the run to the College Cup? "I would say not the easiest. We're trying to get five [new] guys on the same page and trying to lift the hangover of the run a little bit. We're trying to reset ourselves and use the confidence and the belief that we gained from last season, but at the same time know that it'll be harder to accomplish that next year. We have to work harder in these moments. There are a lot of younger players who don't have game experience, so it's a great opportunity for them to earn a role and to improve. They can't rest on the laurels of team success. They have to keep pushing. "On the recruiting front, we have a lot of needs left to go. It's pretty consistent as to where we were the last couple of years at this time, but there's a lot more recruiting left to be done." How do you balance the experienced players who were a key part of the run and the younger players who are looking to earn significant roles? "Everyone personally has their overall goals and long-term plans. The guys who played last year have goals to play profes- sionally after here, so that drives them. And the young guys were absorbing so much over the past six or seven months. The hope is that they can apply that now that they're going to be in position to play this spring and earn those spots. "I think it's just daily reminders. This is our focus, and when guys fall out of line of that, to make sure we hit that individu- ally but also in the team dynamic." How big is this spring to blend the experience and youth to set the table for the fall and a new season? "It was a big reason why we had so much success last fall from an off-the-field perspective in building a leadership group and guys who are going to take the reins and hold guys accountable. From that standpoint, we're going to continue to do that and build our leadership off the field. "The spring is important because it's a competitive environ- ment with the Carolina Cup, but it's also not at the same time. It can be a little bit more individually focused, and we can find our own ways to be competitive within our own group to keep it going in the spring. But it's nice to have games where we can build toward. You can feel the energy shifting within the group." How do you approach the task of replacing the pro- duction you lost from last year's roster? "Nothing changes. We're trying to build some good players from within [the program] who need to step up and fill those roles. We have to go out and find some replacements within the entire world, I would say. That's just a daily grind. There's no exact recruiting science. You can be recruiting a guy for two days and he commits, or you can be recruiting a guy for two years and he doesn't come. You just have to apply yourself and have a good effort every single day, be positive and hold true to our standards. "That's important, not to give in emotionally to maybe what other schools are doing or what other people have. We have a pretty good method of bringing in good people first and hold- ing good standards to player expectations and trying to hit that every single day. It's daunting to have to bring in a lot of players, or to replace the 'best player in college soccer' up front, or the No. 1 overall draft pick in the back. "There are a lot of older players who have experience here who are now pursuing pro opportunities. That's where we want to be. It's what we want to do every single year, so we can't com- plain about it. It's a product of our success, and we've just got to hit it every single day and not take our foot off the gas." — Noah Fleischman SITTING DOWN WITH: Men's Soccer Coach Marc Hubbard In two seasons as head coach at NC State, Hubbard has guided the Pack to a 26-8-9 record and an appearance in last year's national championship game. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS