Wolfpack Soccer Programs Dominating Down the Stretch

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

RALEIGH — NC State men's soccer continues to be one of the best teams in the ACC and the nation, winning its last two games. However, the surprise of the week for the Wolfpack soccer community is the sudden elite play from the women's team, now winners of three in a row.

Both men's and women's soccer won in dramatic fashion Friday night, with the men taking down Notre Dame on the road 3-0, while the women snatched a 1-0 victory at Pitt over the Panthers to get their fifth win of the season. While the men are recovering from a difficult spell of games, the women are surging at the right time to give themselves a shot at the postseason with just three games left in the regular season.

All About Phillip

Threats all over the field #CarryTheCulture pic.twitter.com/bfjGD3lrAK
— NC State Men's Soccer (@PackMensSoccer) October 17, 2025

The men's team, now ranked sixth in the nation after suffering a few defeats after reaching the top spot, continues to be led by the nation's top goal scorer, Donavan Phillip. The forward was recently named as the No. 1 player in the country, according to TopDrawerSoccer. In the win over the Fighting Irish, NC State's 10th of the season, Phillip notched his 15th goal, maintaining his position as the nation's top goal scorer.

The forward was joined by defender Nikola Markovic (No. 16), goalkeeper Logan Erb (No. 21), midfielder Tyler Caton (No. 49) and midfielder Taig Healy (No. 62) on the Top 100 list from TopDrawer. The Pack has just three matchups left in the regular season, including ranked bouts with No. 19 UNC-Greensboro and No. 10 Duke.

Remarkable Run

Pack in front https://t.co/eJ1L9a9uM8 pic.twitter.com/OzCVTWliLf
— NC State Women's Soccer (@PackWSoccer) October 18, 2025

With the win over the Panthers, the women's team moved to 5-6-4 on the season overall, but the ACC record improved to 4-1-2. The Wolfpack dominated the possession against Pitt, 60-40, and needed just one goal to outlast the Panthers. The fifth win marked the most for the NC State program since the 2022 season and extended a 3-0-0 start to October for the Pack.

NC State sits at fourth place in the standings, a shocking development after starting the season 0-2-5. The turnover in October has the Wolfpack looking like a completely different program, however. The Pack will have a chance to beat two of its rivals in the Triangle down the stretch, with Duke and North Carolina remaining on the schedule.

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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