NC State
Pittsburgh
NC State, Pitt Set for Friday Night Matchup
10/16/2025 11:30:00 AM | Women's Soccer
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State women's soccer (4-6-4, 3-1-2 ACC) travels to face Pittsburgh (5-7-2, 1-5-0 ACC) in ACC action on Friday, Oct. 17, at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
Last Time Out
A 76th-minute goal from Jade Bordeleau lifted NC State to a 1-0 road victory over Boston College on Thursday, Oct. 9, at Newton Campus Field. Bordeleau's tally marked her fifth consecutive game with a goal as the Pack extended its unbeaten ACC streak to five matches, its longest since 2017.
The opening 45 minutes were evenly played, with both teams recording three shots and one on target. Senior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas stopped the Eagles' lone on-frame attempt to keep the match scoreless at halftime. The defensive battle continued after the break until the 76th minute, when Fien Leijdekker sent a ball into the box off a pass from Brooklyn Holt that landed at the feet of Bordeleau, who calmly finished to give the Pack the lead. Leijdekker and Holt were both credited with assists on the play. NC State nearly added a second goal late, with Mackenzie Smith firing a pair of shots following the opener, but the Wolfpack defense held strong to close out the clean sheet and secure three points on the road.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' fifth victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 407th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 115th win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's 6th all-time win over Pittsburgh.
- Mark the fourth ACC win of the season for NC State.
Series History
Friday marks the 11th all-time meeting between NC State and Pitt, with the series level at five wins apiece through the first 10 matchups. The Wolfpack have not defeated the Panthers since 2018, as the teams have traded three-game win streaks across the last six contests. NC State earned three straight victories from 2016-18 before Pitt responded with three consecutive wins from 2019-23.
Scouting the Panthers
Pitt enters Friday's match with a 5-7-2 overall record and a 1-5-0 mark in ACC play. The Panthers are coming off a bye week, last competing on Sunday, Oct. 5, in a 3-1 loss at North Carolina.
Offensively, freshman midfielder Katie Ellermeyer leads the Panthers with a team-high 13 points on six goals and one assist. She has accounted for nearly half of Pitt's scoring output this season, as the team has totaled just 14 goals, the fewest in the ACC. In goal, Abby Reisz has logged the majority of minutes for the Panthers, totaling 900 this season. She has allowed an ACC-high 25 goals and carries a 2.50 goals against average.
Bordeleau's Having a Ball
Bordeleau leads the Pack with nine goals this season, a total that ranks tied for fifth in the ACC and matches the most by a Wolfpack player since 2021. Bordeleau is coming off the game-winning goal in the Pack's 1-0 victory at Boston College, marking her fifth consecutive match with a goal. The streak is the second-longest in program history, and she is the first NC State player to score in five straight games in the 21st century.
Bordeleau has been key to the Wolfpack's success this season, scoring at least once in all four of the team's wins. She will look to continue her strong form as the regular season enters its final stretch.
The Unbeaten Streak Continues
NC State is riding a five-match ACC unbeaten streak that dates back to its 1-0 win at SMU on Sept. 18. The run marks the Pack's longest conference unbeaten stretch since 2017, when it won six straight league matches.
NC State has gone unbeaten in five of its six ACC contests, collecting 11 points in league play to sit tied for seventh in the conference standings. With four matches remaining, the Pack remains firmly in the mix for one of the six ACC Championship spots and will look to build on its momentum down the stretch.
Up Next
The Pack returns home for its penultimate home contest against Louisville on Thursday, Oct. 23 for the program's Senior Night. The contest is set for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
