Men's Soccer Weekly Release
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
September 12, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--The Wake Forest men's soccer team, off to a 3-0 start and ranked No. 20 in the latest NSCAA poll, faces its first ranked opponent of the season this weekend as the Demon Deacons host No. 24 UNC Charlotte on Friday at 7:00 pm. The Deacs are fresh off a tournament win at the Nike-Wake Forest Classic and hope to keep their winning momentum going.
SEALE LIFTS DEACONS TO NIKE CLASSIC TITLE; NAMED ACC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman midfielder Jamal Seale (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley NW) tallied three goals and two assists to earn Tournament MVP honors as Wake Forest defeated San Francisco, 2-1, and St. Bonaventure, 5-0, to win the 1998 Nike-Wake Forest Classic last weekend. Seale scored the game-winning goal in the Deacs' win over USF on Friday, then exploded for two goals and two assists - including another game-winning goal - in the rout of St. Bonnie's on Sunday. For his outstanding performance in his first week as a collegian, Seale was named the ACC's Co-Player of the Week.
DEACONS START WITH "D"
The Deacs will again look to a dominating defense as their anchor this season, returning almost the entire unit which posted eight shutouts and held opponents to just over a goal per game last year. The unit looks to be even better this fall, and the backfield has been nothing short of stifling in the first three games. After shutting out Virginia Tech - and holding them to a mere two shots on goal - the defense shone at the Nike Classic, allowing just 18 shots and one goal in two games. In fact, all three starting defenders - junior marking backs Chad Evans (LaPlata, MD/LaPlata) and David Kaweesi-Mukooza (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville), and sophomore sweeper Brock Hilpert (Durham, NC/Durham Academy) - earned all-tournament honors. The trio even contributed on the offensive end; Evans netted a goal and Hilpert assisted on the game-winner vs. USF, while Kaweesi-Mukooza assisted on a score vs. SBU. Should a ball actually get past this impressive trio, of course, the Deacons have the luxury of one of the most talented keepers in the region in Sean Conner (Georgetown, TX/Georgetown). Conner, who recorded seven solo shutouts last year, has posted two solo shutouts and a 0.33 GAA in his first three outings.
BACHMEIER ANCHORS THE MIDFIELD
The Deacons will look to senior co-captain Kyle Bachmeier (Winston-Salem, NC/West Forsyth) to help them control the midfield this year with his consistently solid play. A four-year starter, Bachmeier was the team's top playmaker last season, leading the team in assists with nine. He is closing in on the school's all-time assists mark, needing just eight to break the record.
DANIV, LIND MAKING AN IMPACT UPON THEIR RETURN
The Demon Deacons have also benefitted from the return of two talented veterans to the lineup after a year's absence. Senior midfielder Serge Daniv (Lviv, Ukraine/Olympic Reserve), an All-ACC and third-team All-America pick in 1996, is back after a serious knee injury sidelined him for over a year. While he cannot yet play a full 90 minutes, Daniv has played the second half of each of the first three games, making a significant impact and netting his first goal of the year vs. St. Bonnie's. Also returning is the versatile Trent Lind (Ormond Beach, FL/Seabreeze), who led the Deacs in scoring as a freshman in 1995 and played marking back in 1996. Lind has played extensively in the first three games at both midfield and forward, tallying a goal vs. St. Bonaventure.
Deacon Details 1998 Record: 3-0, 0-0 ACC Win/Lose Streak: Won 3 National Rank: No. 20 (NSCAA) 1997 Record: 10-10, 2-4 ACC (6th) Head Coach: Jay Vidovich (Ohio Wesleyan '82) Record at WFU: 46-33-3 (5th yr) Career Record: 46-33-3 (5th yr) Assistant Coach: Paul McDonough