Thursday, September 18
Dallas, TX
7 PM
NC State
at
SMU
Wolfpack to Face SMU in First ACC Road Match
9/17/2025 1:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DALLAS – NC State women's soccer (1-6-2, 0-1-0 ACC) hits the road for its first ACC away match of the 2025 season on Thursday, Sept. 18, when it travels to SMU (6-2-1, 0-0-1 ACC). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
Last Time Out
An 86th-minute game-winning score proved to be the difference as NC State fell 2-1 to No. 6 Notre Dame on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Dail Soccer Stadium. The Wolfpack grabbed the early lead, but the Fighting Irish responded with two unanswered goals to spoil NC State's ACC home opener.
Emily Wong put the Pack in front in the ninth minute, capitalizing on a set-piece service from Mana Nakata that deflected off an Irish defender before Wong slotted it into the far corner. The tally marked NC State's second-straight match with a goal inside the opening 15 minutes. Notre Dame leveled the score in the 39th minute when Laney Matriano found Izzy Engle, who finished to the back of the net. Just three minutes later, the Irish were awarded a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas denied the attempt to keep the match even heading into halftime.
The Irish ramped up the pressure in the second half, firing 14 shots, but the Wolfpack back line held firm until the 86th minute when Annabelle Chukwu netted the game-winner off a feed from Morgan Roy to give Notre Dame its victory.
A Win Would …
Thursday's match will be the first ACC meeting between NC State and SMU in a series that began in 1990. The Wolfpack holds a 4-2-0 edge all-time.
The teams have not faced each other in 20 years, with the last matchup coming in 1995 when the Mustangs earned a 4-3 win at home.
All four of NC State's victories in the series have come either at home (2) or at neutral sites (2). A win Thursday would mark the Pack's first in Dallas.
Scouting the Mustangs
SMU enters Thursday's match with a 6-2-1 record. The Mustangs' only setbacks have come against Power Four opponents in then-No. 10 Wake Forest and Texas Tech. Most recently, SMU earned a 1-0 victory over Alcorn State on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Mustangs are a perfect 5-0-0 at home this season.
SMU is averaging 1.78 goals per game, with 11 different players finding the scoresheet. Sammy Nieves and Lydia Ungashick share the team lead with seven points apiece. Nieves has been the Mustangs' top playmaker, tallying a team-best five assists, while Ungashick leads the squad with three goals.
Head coach Nicole Nelson is in her fourth season leading the program, compiling a 33-21-9 record during her tenure in Dallas.
Welcome Home, Coach Higgins
NC State McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan named Higgins the sixth head coach in program history in December 2024. Higgins arrived in Raleigh after three seasons at East Carolina, where he guided the Pirates to a historic 2024 campaign that included a 10-4-7 record, an American Athletic Conference title, and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Prior to his time at ECU, Higgins coached at his alma mater, Lenoir Rhyne, leading the Bears to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. The former standout player brings more than a decade of coaching experience and a proven track record of building winning programs.
Higgins' first year with the Wolfpack features an entirely new coaching staff. Associate head coach Joanna Fennema, a former North Carolina standout, led Lenoir Rhyne to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Assistants David Rodriguez (NC Courage Academy) and Juan Basabe (Lenoir Rhyne) also join the staff, each bringing valuable collegiate and club-level experience.
Up Next
NC State returns to Dail Soccer Stadium for a midday match against No. 7 Florida State on Sunday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on ACCNX.
Last Time Out
An 86th-minute game-winning score proved to be the difference as NC State fell 2-1 to No. 6 Notre Dame on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Dail Soccer Stadium. The Wolfpack grabbed the early lead, but the Fighting Irish responded with two unanswered goals to spoil NC State's ACC home opener.
Emily Wong put the Pack in front in the ninth minute, capitalizing on a set-piece service from Mana Nakata that deflected off an Irish defender before Wong slotted it into the far corner. The tally marked NC State's second-straight match with a goal inside the opening 15 minutes. Notre Dame leveled the score in the 39th minute when Laney Matriano found Izzy Engle, who finished to the back of the net. Just three minutes later, the Irish were awarded a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas denied the attempt to keep the match even heading into halftime.
The Irish ramped up the pressure in the second half, firing 14 shots, but the Wolfpack back line held firm until the 86th minute when Annabelle Chukwu netted the game-winner off a feed from Morgan Roy to give Notre Dame its victory.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' second victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 404th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 112th win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's 5th all-time win over SMU.
- Mark the first ACC win of the season for NC State.
Thursday's match will be the first ACC meeting between NC State and SMU in a series that began in 1990. The Wolfpack holds a 4-2-0 edge all-time.
The teams have not faced each other in 20 years, with the last matchup coming in 1995 when the Mustangs earned a 4-3 win at home.
All four of NC State's victories in the series have come either at home (2) or at neutral sites (2). A win Thursday would mark the Pack's first in Dallas.
Scouting the Mustangs
SMU enters Thursday's match with a 6-2-1 record. The Mustangs' only setbacks have come against Power Four opponents in then-No. 10 Wake Forest and Texas Tech. Most recently, SMU earned a 1-0 victory over Alcorn State on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Mustangs are a perfect 5-0-0 at home this season.
SMU is averaging 1.78 goals per game, with 11 different players finding the scoresheet. Sammy Nieves and Lydia Ungashick share the team lead with seven points apiece. Nieves has been the Mustangs' top playmaker, tallying a team-best five assists, while Ungashick leads the squad with three goals.
Head coach Nicole Nelson is in her fourth season leading the program, compiling a 33-21-9 record during her tenure in Dallas.
Welcome Home, Coach Higgins
NC State McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan named Higgins the sixth head coach in program history in December 2024. Higgins arrived in Raleigh after three seasons at East Carolina, where he guided the Pirates to a historic 2024 campaign that included a 10-4-7 record, an American Athletic Conference title, and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Prior to his time at ECU, Higgins coached at his alma mater, Lenoir Rhyne, leading the Bears to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. The former standout player brings more than a decade of coaching experience and a proven track record of building winning programs.
Higgins' first year with the Wolfpack features an entirely new coaching staff. Associate head coach Joanna Fennema, a former North Carolina standout, led Lenoir Rhyne to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Assistants David Rodriguez (NC Courage Academy) and Juan Basabe (Lenoir Rhyne) also join the staff, each bringing valuable collegiate and club-level experience.
Up Next
NC State returns to Dail Soccer Stadium for a midday match against No. 7 Florida State on Sunday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on ACCNX.
Players Mentioned
Meet Head Women's Soccer Coach Gary Higgins
Friday, December 20
EmpowHER - NC State Women's Soccer's Book Club
Wednesday, February 07
EmpowHER: Women's Soccer
Tuesday, February 06
2023 NC State Women's Soccer Season Recap
Monday, December 11