Courtesy: NC State Kara Baldy scored her second career game-winning goal Friday night against Wofford
RALEIGH, N.C. – Kara Baldy made the first game at the NC State Soccer Stadium a successful one for the Wolfpack with an overtime goal in the 97th minute to upend Wofford, 1-0, Friday night.
After 90 minutes of play that was dominated throughout by NC State (1-0), all it took was for senior Lindsay Vera to shake a defender and find Baldy on the left side and she did the rest of the work. Tami Krzeszewski also picked up an assist on the game’s deciding play.
Baldy collected the through ball, turned and fired a shot past the outstretched arm of the Terrier keeper from 15-yards out into the far upper-right corner. I guess its only fitting that a Raleigh native scores the first goal at the Pack’s new on campus home for soccer.
Wofford (0-1) actually had the first two shots of the match, but was held to only one other attempt the rest of the way.
In the 17th minute, Paige Dugal, in her first collegiate game, nearly gave the Pack an early lead when she shook free from the defense and was one-on-one with keeper Katie McChesney but she missed her target wide right.
At halftime, NC State held a 6-3 shot advantage but neither team could muster any other real scoring opportunities.
Vera had a good look at goal in the 75th minute but her shot went well over the net.
Five minutes later Nadia Aboulhosn banged her shot off the crossbar from some 25 yards out, probably the best scoring opportunity of regulation.
In the extra session, Vera, who led everyone with six shots on the evening, got a clean look at the net and put a shot into the lower-left corner, but the keeper was up to the task in the 92nd minute.
NC State held a commanding 23-3 shot advantage, including a 17-0 cushion after halftime. The Pack also had nine of the matches 10 corner kicks.
The Wolfpack is back in action Sunday afternoon against Western Carolina at 1 pm from the NC State Soccer Stadium.
Courtesy: NC State
