Wolfpack ties up Eagles on Newton

Boston College consistently showed signs of being able to break through the North Carolina State defense, but could not capitalize on any of its opportunities. The Eagles' unfamiliar opponent, the North Carolina State Wolfpack, was also unable to reach the net, as the teams played to a scoreless tie Saturday night after a second overtime.

The match started slow, as shots on goal were hard to come by in the first half. Each team only recorded three shots, but the game began to open up after halftime, as BC and NC State had numerous chances to take the lead.

BC (11-3-2, 6-3-1) had its moments, but could not follow through. The Eagles had 17 shots on goal, including six in the second overtime, and eight corner kicks throughout the match, but could never seal the deal. Standout freshman and Eagle top scorer, Charlie Davies had his chance in the second overtime, but slipped on the wet surface. That seemed to be the story on a rainy night, as each team was constantly feeling the effects of the wet surface.

"Charlie Davies, our best scorer, had his chances, in particular, late in the second overtime, but he happened to slip. It was a slippery night for both teams," said BC head coach Ed Kelly.

Throughout the scoreless match, the Wolfpack also had 11 shots and six corner kicks, yet, similar to the Eagles, could never take advantage of on each break.

North Carolina State (6-7-2, 1-4-1 ACC) had its best opportunity in the final 90 seconds of regulation with three corner kicks, but BC was able to defend the attack each time. Pat Haggerty and Sam Brill, two of BC's strongest defenders, were able to help the Eagles clear the zone and record their 10th shutout of the season.

Kelly was positive about the defensive effort for his team. Sophomore goalkeeper Issey Maholo recorded his ninth shutout of the season and moved to third on BC's single season save list.

"We have only let up seven goals in 16 matches, which is something almost unheard of in soccer. It is something positive to keep in mind about this game."

The other story of the game was the aggressive play by both teams. BC committed 12 fouls, while the Wolfpack committed a game-high 18. There were two yellow cards for the Wolfpack and also three injuries throughout the game, including a head-to-head collision between BC's Rich Gavilanes and the Wolfpack's Bryant Salter.

Expectations for both teams were uncertain, as they not squared off recently since they are in different conferences. However, the teams will become familiar with each other when BC moves to the ACC to join NC State and numerous other strong soccer programs.

"NC State is a great team, but we do not know much about them since they are not in our conference. We will get to know them a lot better next year when we join the ACC," said Kelly.

A surprise for the Eagles' fans came in the first overtime when freshman Ahmed Talaat made his career debut at an unlikely time. Talaat had four shots on goal throughout the two overtime periods and was close to scoring the game winner in the first overtime. He was denied by the Wolfpack's goalie, Jorge Gonzalez, who recorded his fourth shutout of the season.

This was the third consecutive overtime match for the Eagles and fifth on the season.

BC is 1-2-2 in overtime matches, winning its previous match against Northeastern with a goal by Satoshi Mitsuda off a header from senior co-captain Pat Haggerty.

BC will face off against Dartmouth on Wednesday at 3 p.m. for its final regular-season home game of the season.