The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/368728
58 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State men's soccer accom‑ plished a lot on and off the field in 2013. The squad went 3‑5‑3 in the competitive ACC for the program's best conference mark in seven years and had a final RPI of 34, a jump of 55 spots from the previous campaign. The end of the season was especially sweet, a 1‑0 overtime win at archrival and No. 10 UNC. The team also was recog‑ nized by the National Coaches Association for a 3.0 team grade‑point average. One thing eluded NCSU, though: an NCAA Tournament bid. Now in the fourth season of the program under head coach Kelly Findley, the Wolfpack is poised to break out. "We've had two very good recruiting classes," Findley noted. "We've got a group of guys that have been with us for four years now, so we have a rising senior class that understands what we want, under‑ stands why we do things. I think we have a good balance. "We have a base of returning players. We have competition at every single spot." On paper, Findley has received a lot of acclaim for the talent he has been bring‑ ing into Raleigh. His 2013 haul was rated No. 16 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and No. 18 by CollegeSoccerNews.com. That class was highlighted by midfielder Travis Wannemuehler, and he went on to be named to the ACC All‑Freshman team after starting 13 games last year. The 2014 class is even more well re‑ garded. Top Drawer Soccer ranked it No. 3 in the country and tops in the ACC. Included in the group is defender Conor Donovan from Fuquay‑Varina, N.C., a vet‑ eran of both the U18 and U20 USA Men's National Teams. ■ PREVIEW MEN'S SOCCER Last year, senior forward Nick Surkamp led NC State with eight goals, 18 points, 41 shots and 24 shots on goal. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS READY FOR THE NEXT STEP NC State Aims To Return To The NCAA Tournament