Wake Forest Athletics
#9 Men's Soccer Collides With Carolina Sunday Afternoon
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 29, 2004
| Game No. 15: #9 Wake Forest vs. North Carolina | |
| Records: | Demon Deacons (10-3-1, 4-1-0 ACC) vs. Tar Heels (8-6-2, 3-2-0 ACC) |
| When: | Sun., Oct 31 - 2:00 p.m. |
| Where: | Fetzer Field - Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| Game Notes: | |
| Live Stats: | |
| Live Audio: | Listen |
A Win This Afternoon Would... improve the Demon Deacons to 11-3-1 overall and 5-1-0 in the ACC... extend the Deacs winning streak to a season-high eight matches... improve Wake Forest to 5-0 this season on the road and 6-0-1 away from Spry Stadium... be just the second win over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill all-time and first since the 1982 season... secure no worse than the second seed for the upcoming ACC Tournament... give Wake Forest five victories in the ACC for the first time in school history... extend the streak without a loss against North Carolina to four matches (3-0-1)... improve the Deacs to 6-18-6 all-time against the Tar Heels... make the Demon Deacons 2-10-2 all-time against North Carolina in Chapel Hill... make the Demon Deacons 23-46-7 all-time on the road in the ACC and 12-19-3 in the Vidovich era... give 11th-year head coach Jay Vidovich his 131st career victory.
A Loss This Afternoon Would... drop the Demon Deacons to 10-4-1 overall and 4-2-0 in the ACC... snap the Deacs winning streak at seven matches... be the first defeat for Wake Forest on the road this season (4-1-0) and away from Spry Stadium (5-1-1)... deny Wake Forest just its second victory over North Carolina all-time in Chapel Hill and first since the 1982 season... be the Deacs first loss to the Tar Heels since the 2000 ACC Tournament... drop the Demon Deacons to 5-19-6 all-time against North Carolina... make the Deacons 1-11-2 all-time against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill... make the Demon Deacons 22-47-7 all-time on the road in the ACC and 11-20-3 in the Vidovich era.
Scouting the Tar Heels... North Carolina brings a record of 8-6-2 overall and 3-2-0 in the ACC into Sunday afternoon's match with Wake Forest. The Tar Heels come into the matchup playing their best soccer of the season. North Carolina has shutout its last two opponents, NC State (2-0) and William & Mary (2-0). After starting 2-5-2 this season, the Tar Heels have ripped off five consecutive victories and have not dropped a match since a 1-0 defeat at Maryland on Oct. 10. North Carolina has used a balanced scoring attack all season, but senior forward Marcus Storey leads the Tar Heels in goals (6), assists (6) and points (18). Sophomore Jaime Watson is second on the squad with five goals and three assists, sophomore Corey Ashe is third with six goals and senior Tim Merritt is fourth with three goals and four assists. Ford Williams will most likely get the call in net for North Carolina. The junior has started 12 matches and posted a 1.14 goals against average.
Sealy Takes Over Second Place... with his goal and assist against Virginia Tech on Tuesday night, senior forward Scott Sealy has now scored 12 goals this season and 38 in his career. The senior moved past former All-American Jeremiah White for second place on the all-time goal list. Sealy also surpassed both Ben Stafford and White for second place in career points (94). The 12 goals this season are the fifth most in a single-season school history.
Curfman Out... Sophomore Steven Curfman will most likely not be in uniform Sunday afternoon against North Carolina. The midfielder injured his right ankle in the 2-0 victory over Elon back on Oct. 19.
Model Of Consistency... with the 2-0 shutout victory over Virginia Tech this past Tuesday evening, Wake Forest registered its 10th win of the season. It marked the 11th consecutive season that the Deacons reached double digits in wins -- all under current head coach Jay Vidovich.
Edwards Puts Together Another Scoreless Streak... early in October, the Demon Deacons put together a streak of 236:52 scoreless minutes. Now, Edwards has recorded three straight shutouts and six this season. The redshirt freshman has not allowed a goal in 334:11 -- a span dating back to the 3-1 victory over Loyola Marymount on Oct. 15. In all, Edwards has allowed just two goals in the past 603:02 -- good for a 0.30 goals against average.
Fetzer Field Not So Friendly... Wake Forest has traveled to Chapel Hill and Fetzer Field quite often over the years. While the Deacs have been extremely successful on the pitch in the Nike Carolina Classic, the Demon Deacons have been quite the contrary when facing the Tar Heels. All-time at Fetzer Field, Wake Forest has managed just one victory in 13 matches against North Carolina. In fact, the Demon Deacons have not defeated the Tar Heels at Fetzer since the 1982 season.
Wake Forest Still Ranked... the Deacs extended their streak of consecutive weeks in the top 25. Wake Forest closed the 2003 season with a streak of 32 straight weeks ranked in the top 25. The Demon Deacons extended that streak to 42 as Wake Forest was ranked in each of the four polls and was ranked as high as ninth this week.
Five ACC Victories, A First... Wake Forest enters today with a 4-1-0 mark in the ACC. With one victory in their first two conference matches, the Demon Deacons could reach the five victory plateau in league play for the first time in school history. Wake Forest has come quite close over the years, reaching four ACC wins in 1989, 2002 and 2003.
Lowery, Parkhurst Never MIA... Senior midfielder Amir Lowery and junior central defender Michael Parkhurst have been mainstays in the Deacon lineup. In fact, Lowery and Parkhurst have started every single match over the past three seasons -- streaks that will reach 57 straight matches Sunday afternoon.
Up Next... the Deacons continue their four-match road swing with a non-conference match at Davidson on Nov. 2. Kickoff is scheduled 7 pm. The Wildcats will officially open their brand new soccer facility, Alumni Stadium. The Demon Deacons lead the all-time series with Davidson, 17-4-1. Wake Forest has captured the previous six meetings with the Wildcats.
Brutal Finish... the Demon Deacons close the regular season with four consecutive matches on the road, three of which in the ACC. Wake Forest travels to Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Davidson and Duke. The four-match road swing is the first road trip of at least four matches since closing the 1992 regular season with four straight away from home.
Looking For Eight Straight, Again... the Demon Deacons will look for their eighth consecutive win Sunday afternoon against North Carolina. Wake Forest has registered at least six-match win streaks in four of the past five seasons.
Moose Catching Fire... prior to a slight concussion caused Justin Moose to miss the Elon (Oct. 19) and Clemson (Oct. 22) matches, the junior midfielder scored a goal four consecutive matches, all victories, and added an assist. The assist moved Moose into a tie for eighth place with Ben Stafford (17) on the all-time assist mark.
Thompson Finds Net For First Time... sophomore midfielder Wells Thompson scored his first career goal in the victory over Loyola Marymount on Oct. 15. Thompson's goal came in his 23rd career game for the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest Still Ranked... the Deacs extended their streak of consecutive weeks in the top 25. Wake Forest closed the 2003 season with a streak of 32 straight weeks ranked in the top 25. The Demon Deacons extended that streak to 42 as Wake Forest was ranked in each of the four polls and was ranked as high as ninth this week.
Victory Over Loyola Marymount More Impressive Sunday... as impressive as the 3-1 victory over the Lions was, it became that much more impressive on Sunday afternoon. Loyola Marymount faced second-ranked Santa Clara and blanked the Broncos, 4-0.
Deacs Definitely Creating Scoring Chances... Wake Forest has outshot its last nine opponents dating back to the Florida International match on Sept. 12. In fact, Penn State is the only opponent this season to hold the advantage in shots over the Deacs (Sept. 5).
Overtime, Every Time... the Demon Deacons went into overtime in three consecutive matches earlier this season, then registered its fourth overtime match of the season on Oct. 10 at NC State. The Deacs are 3-0-1 in those four matches. Wake Forest did not even have a overtime match the entire 2003 season. The record for most consecutive overtime matches was six set during the 1990 season.
Edwards Lone Freshman Between The Pipes... Redshirt freshman Brian Edwards is the only freshman starting goalkeeper in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference. In fact, Edwards is one of three keepers in the ACC to play every minute between the pipes for their respective team.
Moose Nets Gamewinnner... Junior Justin Moose has scored three goals this season. Two of those goals have come in overtime, giving Wake Forest victories. Moose recorded his first golden goal against FIU back on Sept. 12, then he did the same on Oct. 10 against NC State.
Victory at Method Road No Small Task... the Wake Forest win on Oct. 10 against the Wolfpack at Method Road was the first loss for NC State at Method Road in 14 games, a streak that dated back to the 2002 season.
Avoided Four Straight... Wake Forest avoided its first four match losing skid since the 1986 season when they knocked off Maryland, 4-2, on Oct. 2. In 1986, the Deacs managed to lose a school record five consecutive matches. Wake Forest also registered five-match losing streaks in 1983 and 1985.
Perfect Set Pieces... Wake Forest snapped out of its scoring drought with four goals against 11th-ranked Maryland on Oct. 2. The Deacons tallied two goals each half, but three of the scores came directly off set pieces. Steven Curfman was involved in all three goals. Amir Lowery earned Wake Forest a penalty kick off a Curfman corner kick, while Curfman recorded a pair of assists off two in-direct free-kicks.
Scraping Off The Rust... once the match with Virginia Tech was postponed due to inclement weather from Hurricane Jeanne, the Demon Deacons played exactly one match (Oct. 2 against Maryland) in a span of 15 days.
Not So Friendly Confines... the loss to South Carolina on Sept. 24 not only snapped Wake Forest's two-match winning streak over the Gamecocks, but it also gave the Deacs their first three-match losing streak since 1997. The game also marked the third straight loss at Spry Stadium -- the first three-match losing streak at home since the 1986 season. The school record is four consecutive losses at home, which was set during the 1985 season.
Inside The Three Match Losing Skid... if you looked deeper at the three-match losing streak earlier this season for the Deacs you would be surprised with the statistics. Wake Forest has outshot Virginia, UNCG and South Carolina by a combined 44-22 and registered 31 corner kicks to their opponents three. The opponent's goalkeepers have been forced to make 15 saves, while the Brian Edwards has only recorded six. Despite controlling all three matches, Wake Forest has not walked away with a victory in any of them. The Deacs have been hurt by second-half goals, four in all, in each of the matches.
UNCG's Win at Spry Quite Rare... the victory for the Spartans over Wake Forest on Sept. 17 snapped the Demon Deacons five-match winning streak -- a span dating back to the 1989 season. The loss also means Wake Forest has now dropped consecutive matches at Spry Stadium for the first time since the 1997 season. Wake Forest lost back-to-back games on Oct. 15 and Oct. 19 of that season against Duke and Davidson.
Wake Forest Still Dominant Against Nonconference Foes at Spry... Wake Forest has captured 38 of its last 43 matches at Spry Stadium against non-conference opponents. The Deacs are 38-3-2 in those outings since the 1998 season. Before Sept. 17 against UNCG, Dartmouth was the last non-conference foe to defeat the Demon Deacons at Spry Stadium -- back on Sept. 8, 2001.
Virginia Ends Couple Of Streaks... the Cavaliers have now beaten Wake Forest five consecutive times and the Cavaliers snapped the Deacons 13-match regular season home winning streak. Wake Forest also saw an end to its regular season unbeaten streak of 29 games at Spry Stadium. The Demon Deacons last regular season home loss came on September 8, 2001 against Dartmouth.
Deacs Struggle In ACC Openers... the Demon Deacons have struggled in their ACC opener throughout the program's history. Wake Forest has posted a 3-19-3 all-time record in their ACC opener. Most of the struggles have resulted from the fact that the Deacs have played Virginia 18 times in 25 ACC openers. Wake Forest is 1-15-2 all-time against the Cavaliers in the first ACC match of the season.
Deacs Capture Carolina/Nike Classic... Wake Forest picked up a pair of overtime victories this past weekend to capture their second tournament title of the 2004 season. The Deacs knocked off VCU, 1-0, then rallied past FIU, 3-2. Host North Carolina dropped both of their matches against the Rams and Golden Panthers.
Parkhurst Picks Up First Career Point... junior Michael Parkhurst picked up his first career point in the 3-2 overtime victory over FIU at the Carolina/Nike Classic. Parkhurst, a Hermann Award Candidate, has started every match for the Demon Deacons over the past three years, but did not record a point until Sept. 12.
Edwards Records Second Shutout... sophomore goalkeeper Brian Edwards recorded his second shutout in only his fourth career start on Sept. 10. Edwards blanked VCU, 1-0, into the second overtime.
Deacs Capture Ohio State Classic Title... Wake Forest shutout the host Buckeyes, 2-0, on Friday night then tied #14 Penn State, 2-2, Sunday. The Demon Deacons earned the title on goal differential.
Four Earn All-Tournament Status... after capturing the Ohio State Classic Championship, the Demon Deacons were awarded with four players to the All-Tournament team. Senior Scott Sealy, junior Michael Parkhurst, junior Justin Moose and sophomore Ryan Solle were all selected.
Card Crazy Weekend... the Demon Deacons were issued six yellow cards and two red cards at The Ohio State Classic. Wake Forest was issued only 22 yellow cards all of 2003 and 24 in 2002. In fact, the two red cards were the first for any Demon Deacon player since Aaron Thomas was ejected in the NCAA Tournament lost to American on Nov. 25, 2001.
Edwards Registers Shutout in First Career Start... sophomore Brian Edwards picked up a shutout in his first career start in the 2-0 victory in Wake's season-opening victory over Ohio State. He recorded eight saves.
Deacons Among Nation's Leaders in Attendance... last year, Wake Forest enjoyed a great home field advantage in front of enormous crowds at Spry Stadium. The Deacons drew crowds of 3,000 or more for five of their 11 games. That allowed Wake Forest to rank third nationally, first in the ACC, with an average of 2,146 fans for the third time in four years.
Sealy Pretty Busy This Summer... while many players were playing with their respective club teams, senior Scott Sealy spent the entire summer playing with the Trinidad & Tobago National Team as they attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
Trinidad is in a group with Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent / Grenadines. They already defeated St. Vincent / Grenadines, 2-0. Trinidad returns to action on Sept. 4 against St. Kitts & Nevis.
Sealy came off the bench to score one goal in the 4-0 trouncing of the Dominican Republic back on June 20. He then started in the 2-0 victory over St. Vincent / Grenadines. Sealy is with the Demon Deacons this weekend, but his status for is still up in the air from time to time throughout the season.
Moose Named PDL All-League and Rookie of the Year... junior midfielder Justin Moose was named by the United Soccer Leagues PDL All-Eastern Conference and Rookie of the Year for the 2004 season.
Moose, a native of Statesville, N.C., scored seven goals and added three assists in 13 games for the Carolina Dynamo. Moose led the Dynamo to the Mid-Atlantic Division Title with an 11-6-1 record. Moose recorded an assist in the PDL semifinal 1-1 draw against Central Florida. The Dynamo lost the match in penalty kicks and the Kraze went on to capture the 2004 PDL Championship.
Parkhurst Named To MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List... junior defender Michael Parkhurst was among the 25 nominees on the 2004 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Parkhurst was a second team All-American and first team All-ACC selection in 2003.
The 25 players are considered to be among the top players entering the 2004 college season and are the ones to watch for outstanding play this fall. A list of 15 semifinalists will be announced in November, with three finalists selected in early December. The winner will be announced at a dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 8, 2005.
Carson Porter Joins Staff... Porter comes to Winston-Salem after coaching the past two years with the Capital Area Soccer League (C.A.S.L.) club program. Porter worked with the under-14 and under-19 boy's squads. He also coached current Demon Deacons Ryan Solle and Steven Curfman. Porter, who owns a USSF "C" License and NSCAA National Diploma, worked with the University of North Carolina on a volunteer basis this past spring.
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Porter was a four-year letterwinner for the Tar Heels from 1997-2000. North Carolina went 50-29-3 in his four seasons highlighted by the 2000 squad that captured the ACC Championship and finished the regular season ranked #1 in the nation. The Tar Heels fell just one game shy of the 2000 College Cup.
Porter earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism/English from North Carolina in 2001. He worked one year in New York City for the advertising agency, D'arcy, before entering coaching.
Recruiting Class Ranked Among Nation's Best... The Demon Deacons' freshman class of Cooper Bryant (will enroll for second semester), Alimer Gonzalez, Patrick Phelan, Marcus Rein, Julian Valentin and Ryan Swaim received some serious honors. Not only was the class ranked second by Soccer America, but Wake Forest was the only team in the country to have three players listed among the top 25 recruits (Phelan, Rein, Valentin).
Deacons Picked Third In ACC Preseason Poll... Wake Forest was selected to finish third in the ACC preseason coaches poll. North Carolina and Virginia earned the spots above the Deacons.
Wake Forest tallied 45 total points, while the Tar Heels earned 57 points and Virginia accumulated 51. The Demon Deacons, who finished the 2003 season with a record of 15-5-0, 4-2-0 in conference play, return eight starters and 16 letterwinners from last year's team.
School Points 2003 Record1. North Carolina (4) 57 12-4-4 (2-3-1)2. Virginia (1) 51 11-10-2 (3-3-0)3. Wake Forest 45 15-5-0 (4-2-0)4. Maryland (1) 40 20-3-1 (5-1-0)5. Clemson (1) 31 9-7-4 (2-4-0)6. Duke 25 8-10-1 (2-4-0)7. Virginia Tech (1) 21 14-5-3 (7-3-0)8. NC State 18 9-9-2 (2-3-1)* denotes Big East conference record in 2003
