SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The fifth-ranked SU men's soccer team (13-2-0, 4-2-0 ACC) makes its first trip to NC State (6-5-3, 1-3-2 ACC) on Saturday, Oct. 25 for a 7 p.m. match with the Wolfpack at Dail Soccer Stadium. 

Syracuse has clinched a berth in the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The Orange is tied with Louisville and Clemson atop the Atlantic Division standings with 12 points. Coastal Division leader Notre Dame is currently in the driver's seat for the tournament's No. 1 overall seed. The Irish have 13 points.

NC State is 3-1-1 in its last five games and is looking to improve its conference tournament prospects.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
SU has allowed six goals this season, tied for the fewest in the nation.  The Orange owns the country's best goals-against average (0.39) and highest team save percentage (.885). In addition, its .710 shutout percentage (10 shutouts in 15 games) is fourth in the nation. The team blanked nine of its first 10 opponents, including five in a row between Sept. 16 and Oct. 7. The five straight cleans sheets were one short of the school record (6) set during the 1980 season.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT
Syracuse has trailed for only 15:56 out of a possible 1,372:54 of game time this season. The only time SU has been behind was when Notre Dame scored to take a 1-0 advantage on Sept. 13 in the 75th minute, a lead it held until the end of the match.

MURRELL "SETTING" GOALS
Jordan Murrell has factored in eight goals for the Orange, assisting on six and scoring two of his own.  Murrell is most dangerous on set pieces. Both of his assists against Wake Forest on Oct. 10 were on free kicks, and five of his six helpers have come on restarts. Murrell is currently tied for fifth in Syracuse history with 19 career assists. It's the most assists ever for an Orange defender.

GOLDEN BOY
Emil Ekblom leads the Orange and ranks second in the ACC in goals (7). Ekblom is third in the conference with 17 points. Six of Ekblom's seven tallies have been game-winners, tied for the most in the country. Ekblom notched the deciding goal in SU's wins against St. Mary's, Rutgers, Clemson, Binghamton, Virginia Tech and Bucknell. Ironically, Ekblom scored 10 goals in 2013, none of which decided a match.

SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
NC State is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against South Carolina on Tuesday night. Conor Donovan's first career goal was the difference. Donovan tallied the golden goal in the 100th minute. 

Zach Knudson and Nick Surkamp are tied for the team lead with four goals apiece. Surkamp owns the Wolfpack overall points lead with 11 (4 goals, 3 assists). 

Keeper Alex McCauley has five clean sheets this year and a 1.15 goals-against average. He ranks second in the ACC in saves (60).

Head coach Kelly Findlay is in his fourth season in Raleigh. Prior to taking over at NC State, Findlay was the head coach at Butler for five years and guided the Bulldogs to a pair of Horizon League first-place finishes and a 16-1-3 record in 2010.

THE NC STATE SERIES
The overall series between the Orange and Wolfpack is tied at one win apiece. NC State won the first pairing between the two schools, topping the Orange, 1-0, at the 1991 MetLife Soccer Classic in Durham, N.C. Syracuse returned the favor last season, crushing the Wolfpack, 5-0, at home. Emil Ekblom had a hat trick in the match and set an SU Soccer Stadium record with seven points (3 goals, 1 assist).

UP NEXT ...
The Orange closes out the 2014 regular-season at home against ACC rival Boston College on Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.