The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/157974
and his staff. They are also fully adjusted to his system and style of play now, and he gives a big credit to the upperclassmen for buying in under the new coach and making it an easy transition. "We've got a good group and everyone is moving in the right direction, which is exciting," he said. "I think we've got a lot of the right guys on the bus right now. "We've just got some guys that have really become great leaders. In the end, the team and our success this season is going to come down to the quality of leaders within the group. I think you're going to see some success because I know the quality of leaders we have." 8 14 16 ■ By The Numbers The return of two key upperclassmen will also help in that regard. Senior midfielder Nazmi Albadawi tallied 11 points in just 12 games played during the 2012 campaign, but he is back to full health and should team with returning All-ACC classmate Alex Martinez to form one of the league's best scoring tandems. Redshirt junior Nick Surkamp has yet to suit up for the Pack, but he is also healthy once again after he redshirted with an injury following his transfer from Longwood, where he was the Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year. The trio will combine with a roster now loaded with experienced players and backto-back top-20 recruiting classes, which should greatly aid the Pack in the quest for its ultimate goal — earning a bid for the NCAA Tournament. "Being in the ACC, I think the conference is so strong that what you're trying to do is do well in the league, but your focus is really just getting better every game because if you can do that, you will move up the ACC ladder and you'll be as good as a lot of other teams in the country," Findley said. "Our goal is to get to the NCAA Tournament and go as far as we can go because, at that point, all bets are off and anything can happen. "I think we'll be in the tournament if we can stay healthy, be consistent and keep growing." ■ The team will play in eight televised games, including three that are on ESPN3.com; the others will be broadcast on GoPack.com. NC State climbed as high as No. 14 in the national polls last year after a 6-0 start, its best since 1982. The Wolfpack's incoming recruiting class was ranked No. 16 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and No. 18 by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Noting The Pack • Four members of the team won the 2013 USASA U-23 National Cup with the Carolina RailHawks' U-23 squad in July. They were: senior midfielder Nazmi Albadawi, senior defenders Gbenga Makinde and Ryan Metts, and redshirt junior forward Nick Surkamp. "It's always good to win, anytime you can win a trophy you get a little bit of that taste in your mouth and you want to do it again," head coach Kelly Findley said. "I think that has made the guys hungry." • Findley has brought in back-to-back top-20 recruiting classes and said a major reason is the support that his program receives from the athletic department. He is also happy to note that the rookies can now be counted on as complementary pieces, instead of trying to carry the team right off the bat. "We were able to bring in a lot of depth and talent because of the new facilities, the support we receive and the fact that NC State athletics are incredibly relevant now as we move up as a group into the national spotlight," he said. "We have the support we need — we have great facilities and every player wants to play at a school where soccer matters.That has kind of become the case here at NC State." Newcomer To Watch Freshman MF/F Travis Wannemuehler The native of Evansville, Ind., was listed between the No. 33-36 prospect in the class of 2013 by the three major soccer recruiting services and should compete for playing time right away. The former all-state honoree in both soccer and football was a member of the US U-18 Men's National Team and a prep All-American. Kelly Findley guided last year's team to the second-best start (6-0) in program history and a No. 14 national ranking, before injuries and a difficult closing schedule resulted in a 10-10 finish. Photo courtesy nc state media relations 74 ■ the wolfpacker 72,74.Men's Soccer Preview.indd 74 8/23/13 1:38 PM