Dukes Claw Back with Second-Half Goals to Draw NC State

Saturday, August 31

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

0-0-3, 0-0-0

NC State

2-0-1, 0-0-0

NC State

James Madison

8/31/2024 11:23:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. - After going down two goals to NC State, James Madison men's soccer utilized a pair of second-half goals to earn a 2-2 draw on Saturday night after a nearly hour-long weather delay at Sentara Park.

The Dukes began the season with their third consecutive draw to sit at 0-0-3, while the Wolfpack moved to 2-0-1.

Sophomore Luca Nikolai and redshirt senior Jordan McMillen were the goal scorers for JMU, while senior Balint Kocso and freshman Milo Wray paced the offense with three shots each. Junior Sebastian Conlon made four saves in his 90 minutes of action in goal.

Quoting Head Coach Paul Zazenski
"Tonight was another tough test that could have gone either way. NC State came in with high energy and went up 2-0 on us. We continued to believe that our chances would drop and we are proud to have fought back and get a point out of it. We had a lot of ball in the second half and created plenty of opportunities."

How It Happened

NC State struck first in the 19th minute as Hakim Karamoko laced a left-footed goal into the lower right corner of the net from 30 yards out for a 1-0 lead.
Taig Healy doubled the Wolfpack lead with his second goal of the season, making the score 2-0 in the 47th minute.
The Dukes got on the board in the 55th minute, as Nikolai sent a pass to redshirt senior Evan Southern who dribbled into the box and passed by to Nikolai for the score.
McMillen netted the equalizer in the 78th minute for the Dukes, taking a pass from Wray to score his first career goal.

Game Notes

JMU had an 8-2 advantage on corner kicks.
The last time the Dukes overcame a two-goal deficit was on Sept. 28, 2021 at George Washington. JMU fell down 2-0 in the 12^th minute before scoring a trio of goals in the second half for a 3-2 win.

Up Next
The Dukes will host No. 16 Georgetown on Monday, Sept. 9 at Sentara Park for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The match is available for viewing on ESPN+.