CARY, N.C. — When he decided to return to NC State for his junior season, forward Donavan Phillip likely knew the 2025 edition of Wolfpack men’s soccer was going to be a special group under head coach Marc Hubbard.
Months after making that decision, Phillip and the Wolfpack need just 90 minutes of quality play to hoist a National Championship trophy. A win over Washington in the College Cup final would mark the first championship for a men’s team sport since Jim Valvano led NC State men’s basketball to a title in 1983. Without Phillip, none of that would be possible.
A dominant run
In NC State’s first 13 games, Phillip scored 14 goals, rising on the national scoring leaderboard and establishing himself as one of college soccer’s premier forwards. However, the opposition began to adjust throughout league play, taking away the star’s opportunities to score. He went scoreless in four straight games, the longest streak of the 2025 season. NC State went 1-1-2 in that stretch.
Phillip and the Wolfpack exited the ACC Tournament earlier than expected with a loss to Syracuse in the quarterfinal, but used that as fuel for the NCAA Tournament. Phillip regained his confidence after the loss, scoring three goals in the first four games of the Tournament, including one in the 2-1 victory over Saint Louis to secure a spot in the College Cup final…