The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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52 ■ THE WOLFPACKER In the preseason coaches' poll, seven of the top 17 teams were ACC members — includ- ing No. 1 Florida State. "Good players take some time to get used to that," Santoro noted. However, he is also confident his young team will not be awed by the challenge. "These are very competitive girls who have friends going to the top teams in the confer- ence," Santoro said. "They want to compete against them." It also helps that leading the attack will be redshirt junior Jackie Stengel, one of the few veterans of the squad. She led NC State with nine goals as a freshman before missing all but three matches in 2014 with a knee injury. She returned last season to score a team-high five goals. Sophomore Maxine Blackwood, who had a goal and an assist in 10 games last season while missing nine contests with injuries, and senior Rachel Cox, who added a goal and two assists last year, should help Stengel lead the attack at forward. "We're going to have plenty of poten- tial firepower, but obviously Jackie will be the main focus to lead it and hopefully stay healthy," Santoro said. Despite not returning much experience in the midfield, they could be the most talented group on the roster. "I think we have a wealth of options that we haven't had," Santoro said. "It depends on how we use them. My only fear with all of them is health. If we stay healthy we are go- ing to have plenty of choices in the midfield and up front. "I think we'll be able to create some chances and score some goals. That's the very exciting part." The biggest question mark on the team in the preseason is among the defenders. Sophomores Hannah Keogh and Ella Bon- ner gained valuable experience last year, both playing in all 19 games. Santoro believes that German-import Kristina Schuster — who played for prestigious Bayern Munich — could provide an immediate boost, but find- ing a fourth defender to join them will be an open competition. Similarly there could be a battle for the job in the net, but sophomore Sydney Wooten — who played in 14 matches during her rookie campaign — is the early favorite. "I think she is going to come in sharp and will come in with a lead for the position," Santoro said. "[Freshman] Grayson Cam- eron's adjustment will determine how com- petitive that position will be." For a program that is hoping to make its first ACC Tournament since 2006 and its first NCAA Tournament since 1996, Santoro is trying to temper expectations for his young but talented squad. "Their goals are lofty," Santoro said. "You like that they have their lofty goals. … You also have to make sure you have a process to get there. "I can't understate how important the non- conference schedule is. We open up with three tough ones, but it's vital that we get some confidence and get some results early. I think if we can do that we can start getting to a point we've not seen, not just in my years but in Raleigh in a long time." ■ Newcomer To Watch There are a lot of candidates to choose from in the freshman class. Forward Kia Rankin was the Gato- rade Player of the Year in Maryland last season. Mid- fielder Tziarra King was a 2015 Esmark All-American after scoring 51 goals as a senior at Sicklerville (N.J.) Winslow Township High. NC State head coach Tim Santoro also singled out German defender Kristina Schuster as a potential immediate contributor. The top choice, though, is midfielder Ricarda Walkling, another Germany native. Walkling has played for the German U16 and U17 teams be- fore her current assignment on the U19 team that reached the UEFA European Championships this summer. She also was part of an undefeated Bayern Munich club team in 2014-15 (with Schuster) that won the Frauen Bundesliga title. "Ricci will make an immediate impact in our mid- field," Santoro said. "She claimed a spot in the first team of one of the world's best clubs at such a young age and is a major part of the German National Team program. "It will be fun for everyone to see this type of player at NC State and in the ACC." Three Players To Watch Sophomore defender Hannah Keogh As a rookie, Keogh not only started all 19 matches, but she played every minute. She pri- marily lined up as NC State's left back and did not get tagged with a single yellow card during the season. She could anchor the defense this year. Redshirt junior forward Jackie Stengel In each of her two healthy seasons for the Wolfpack, Stengel has led NC State in goals scored. She had nine as a rookie in 2013 and came back from a 2014 injury to net five last year. Sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Wooten As a freshman, Wooten split time in the net with Mackenzie Stelljes, who departed the team after last season. Wooten — who was Keogh's teammate on the club soccer team Del Mar Carmel Valley for four years prior to coming to NC State — headed into preseason camp as the favorite to be the starting goalkeeper, but will be challenged by freshman Grayson Cameron. ■ By The Numbers 1 Player shorter than 5-5 on the roster (5-1 freshman midfielder Paige Griffiths). Five years ago, 10 players on the team were shorter than 5-5. 7 Players that are 5-9 or taller on this year's team, compared to just three in 2011. 14 Career goals scored by redshirt junior forward Jackie Stengel. Should she double that in the second half of her career, she would crack the top 10 all time in career goals at NC State. Noting The Pack • Two of NC State's freshmen are from Bayern Munich's renowned women's soccer program in Germany: midfielder Ricarda Walkling and defender Kristina Schuster. NC State head coach Tim Santoro has several connections to Bayern, one of his which is he coached redshirt junior forward Jackie Stengel's older sister Katie at Wake Forest, and Katie Stengel signed to play for Bayern Munich after college. "We're very fortunate, it's one of the top clubs in Europe for the women," Santoro said. "They're freshmen, but they are coming over as experienced freshmen having played at a very high level." • NC State's 2016 recruiting class was ranked 19th nationally by BigSoccer.com in February. That should help NCSU do a better job keeping pace in the ultra-competitive ACC, but the rest of the league continued to bring in top-level talent. Three of the top four classes belong to conference rivals (Duke, Virginia and North Carolina), and the Pack's haul was seventh-best in the league according to the rankings. Sophomore defender Hannah Keogh played every minute of all 19 games last season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS