WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — NC State men’s soccer, the No. 11 seed, takes on third-seeded and 15th-ranked Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8, with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem.
The Wolfpack reached the quarterfinals after a 2-1 first-round win over Virginia Tech, with forward Aidan Payne scoring the go-ahead goal. Payne tops the Wolfpack in both goals, with 10, and points, with 21, and seven of his goals came in October. Sophomore forward Russell Berko ranks behind only Payne with six goals and 13 points, and freshman goalkeeper Gabe Lamphere has started every match since Oct. 2.
Wake Forest, 11-4-3 overall and 5-3-0 in league play, advanced Wednesday by beating Boston College in a penalty-kick shootout. The Demon Deacons have won the ACC title three times under coach Bobby Muuss, in 2016, 2017 and 2024, and are 4-0-1 against NC State in ACC postseason play.
The series has tilted heavily toward the Deacons. Wake Forest has not lost to the Wolfpack since 2006, a 24-match unbeaten run, and has won the last four, including a 2-1 win in Raleigh on Sept. 25, when the Deacons scored the winner in the 87th minute. A win Sunday would be NC State’s first over Wake Forest since 2005 and the 33rd for third-year coach Marc Hubbard at NC State.
It has been a bumpy year for the Wolfpack, who opened the season ranked No. 2 in the nation after a historic 2025 season and were picked to win the ACC, but finished 11th in the league. NC State still owns ranked wins over No. 4 UMKC and No. 23 UNCW this fall.
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