After a disappointing opener that resulted in a 0-0 draw, NC State men’s soccer entered this one hoping to energize a rowdy home crowd at Dail Field that was hungry for goals.

Early on, NC State (1-0-1) enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball, but didn’t create any great scoring chances, going down 1-0 to Queens (0-2-0) in the 22nd minute of play. But the Wolfpack played a great second half, finding the equalizer and winner to claim its first victory of the season 2-1.

“It was just a matter of time before a ball bounced our way,” head coach Marc Hubbard said.

Before then, NC State faced its first deficit of the season. Queens capitalized on a moment of carelessness in the back, as midfielder Luis Vera Mayorca received a cross and slotted it into the bottom corner to give the Royals a 1-0 lead against the run of play. The Pack were unable to equalize before the break and headed into halftime down a goal.

Coming out of halftime, the Wolfpack knocked repeatedly on the door in search of the tying goal. It finally came in the 52nd minute, a beautiful curling effort from senior midfielder Tyler Caton.

TYLER CATON WITH THE EQUALIZER

NC State 1, Queens 1#PerformanceOverPressure pic.twitter.com/NxDkXUhBBN

— NC State Men’s Soccer (@PackMensSoccer) August 23, 2026

After Caton’s goal, the dam was open and the pack found the back of the net again ten minutes later. Sophomore forward Russell Berko broke through for a side-netting strike that made it 2-1, and the Pack coasted from there. The final shot tally was 21-3.

RUSSELL BERKO TO GIVE US THE LEAD

NC State 2, Queens 1#PerformanceOverPressure pic.twitter.com/uilpZ7Kax8

— NC State Men’s Soccer (@PackMensSoccer) August 23, 2026

“I’m proud of how they responded at halftime,” Hubbard said. “The first time every season managing a tight game is always a learning moment, this is something to build on.”

Despite the win, Hubbard was quick to point out that this team still has plenty of growing room.

“I just still think we have so much to improve on, and our best play is going to be in October,” Hubbard said.

The Pack’s next two games are in Florida, and Hubbard sees the road trip as a learning experience.

“Looking forward to getting to Florida, we’ll have a good time as a team getting to know one another,” Hubbard said. “We’ve only been together for seven days, so our team just needs to continue to evolve.”

Despite its high ranking, the Pack returned only two starters from last season’s national championship squad, replenishing the program with a lot of international talent. Building chemistry and cohesion within the group will be an important part of unlocking this team’s potential.

NC State is back in action at 7 p.m. on Thursday August 27 against Florida International in Miami.