Deacons Travel to ACC Tournament as Top Seed
11/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 9, 2004
| ACC Quarterfinals: #1 Wake Forest vs. #8 Virginia Tech | |
| Records: | Demon Deacons (12-4-1, 5-2-0 ACC) vs. Hokies (9-9-1, 2-5-0 ACC) |
| When: | Wed., Nov 10 - Noon |
| Where: | SAS Soccer Complex - Cary, N.C. |
| Game Notes: | |
| Live Stats: | |
A Win This Afternoon Would... improve the Demon Deacons to 13-4-1 overall... move the Deacs into the ACC Semifinals for the sixth consecutive season... be the second victory over Virginia Tech this season and fourth consecutive win over the Hokies in the all-time series... improve Wake Forest to 7-2-1 against Virginia Tech all-time... give the Demon Deacons a record of 9-14-6 all-time in ACC Tournament action... give the Deacs a record of 8-6-3 all-time in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals... improve the Demon Deacons to 5-10-2 all-time in the ACC Tournament in the Vidovich era... give Wake Forest 13 or more victories for the fourth consecutive season... be the 10th win in the Deacs last 11 matches... improve to 9-1-1 away from Spry Stadium this season... give 11th-year head coach Jay Vidovich his 132nd career victory.
A Loss This Afternoon Would... eliminate the Demon Deacons in the first round of the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1998... drop Wake Forest to 12-5-1 overall... be the second consecutive loss for the Deacs after ripping off nine straight victories... snap the Demon Deacons' three-match winning streak over Virginia Tech... be the Deacs' first loss against the Hokies since Sept. 7, 1997 when Virginia Tech blanked Wake Forest, 2-0... drop the Deacs to 6-3-1 all-time against the Hokies... give Wake Forest a record of 8-15-6 all-time in ACC Tournament action... make the 7-7-3 all-time in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals... drop the Demon Deacons to 4-11-2 all-time in the ACC Tournament in the Vidovich era... deny Wake Forest 13 or more victories for the fourth consecutive season... drop the Deacs to 8-2-1 away from Spry Stadium this season.
Scouting The Hokies... Virginia Tech enters the ACC Tournament with a overall record of 9-9-1 and 2-5-0 in the ACC. The Hokies, the eighth seed, dropped the regular season meeting with the Demon Deacons, 2-0, on Oct. 26. In their last outing, Virginia Tech was blanked at NC State, 2-0. However, in the match prior to that the Hokies edged arch-rival Virginia, 2-1. Virginia Tech has been a giant-killer all season, knocking off the second-ranked Cavaliers and then top-ranked Duke. The Hokies have also been victim to a pair of heartbreaking one goal losses to both Maryland (2-1, ot) and North Carolina (2-1). Senior Bailey Allman tops the Hokies with 17 points on seven goals and three assists. Sophomore Ben Nason is second with 12 points on three goals and six assists, while freshman Marcus Reed is third with 11 points and five goals. Junior goalkeeper Chase Harrison has played every single minute this season for Virginia Tech. Harrison has recorded eight shutouts and has a 1.14 goals against average.
Deacons Enter Tournament as Top-Seed... winners of nine of their last 10 matches, Wake Forest comes to the 2004 ACC Tournament as the top-seed. In Wednesday's quarterfinal,Wake Forest (12-4-1) will face Virginia Tech (9-9-1) at Noon in Cary, N.C. at the SAS Soccer Complex. The regular season meeting between the teams took place on October 26 in Blacksburg where the Deacons won 2-0 behind goals from Wells Thompson and Scott Sealy.
Last Time Out... Wake Forest closed the regular season with a 3-2 loss at Duke. Without senior Amir Lowery, junior Justin Moose and sophomore Steven Curfman, the Demon Deacons fell behind 3-0 just 20 minutes into the match. Then, Wake Forest lost the services of sophomore Ryan Solle to injury and senior Stephen Keel to a red card, but still managed to climb within a goal, 3-2, with just minutes remaining. The Blue Devils did manage to hold off the furious Deacon rally to snap a six-match losing streak to Wake Forest.
Sealy, ACC Offensive Player of the Year... the senior All-American candidate is the leading goal scorer for the Demon Deacons. Sealy has netted 13 goals in 2004 including a league-high six game winning goals. The senior forward is also the team leader in points with 34 (13 goals, 8 assists) and shots with 56, while ranking second in the ACC in points, goals scored and shots. He also moved into sole possession of second place on the Wake Forest all-time goals and points list earlier this season. With former All-American Jeremiah White earning Player of the Year honors last season, Sealy makes it two consecutive year that a Demon Deacon forward has capture the award. Sealy was awarded second team All-ACC last season.
Parkhurst, ACC Defensive Player of the Year... the junior Hermann Trophy nominee leads a defense that ranks third in the conference in goals allowed (17) and fourth in shutouts with seven through the end of the regular season. The junior defender played a key role for Wake Forest down the stretch as the Demon Deacons finished the season with victories in nine of their last ten matches, including a string of four consecutive shutouts during a nine-match winning streak that helped claim the ACC Regular Season Title. Parkhurst, who has started 58 consecutive matches for the Deacs, earned first team All-ACC in 2003 and second team in 2002.
Deacons Dot the All-ACC Teams... six Deacons were recognized on the All-ACC first, second and freshman teams. Senior forward Scott Sealy was joined on the first team by junior defender Michael Parkhurst. It was Parkhurst's third straight appearance, the second season on the first team. Sealy makes his first showing on the first team after being listed as a second teamer in 2003. Junior forward Justin Moose made the second team for the third straight year. Senior midfielder Amir Lowery earned second team for the second consecutive season. Julian Valentin and Patrick Phelan made the ACC All-Freshman team.
Poll Position... Wake Forest is ranked eighth this week by Soccer America and ninth by the NSCAA. The Demon Deacons have now spent 51 straight weeks in the top 25 and four straight weeks in the top 10. Eight of the Demon Deacons' foes are in the top 25 this week including UNCG, Maryland, Virginia, Penn State, Ohio State, VCU, Duke and Florida International.
Another ACC Regular Season Title... despite the loss to close the regular season, the Demon Deacons still earned the 2004 ACC Regular Season Championship due in part to Maryland's 1-0 victory over Virginia in other ACC action. The ACC Regular Season Title is the second in the past three years.
Quite an Outbreak... entering the regular season finale at Duke, Wake Forest had not allowed more than one goal in their last eight matches. In fact, the Demon Deacons had allowed one goal or fewer in every match this season except two. The three goals for Duke were not only the most this season, but were the most goals surrendered by the Deacs since American tallied three goals on Nov. 25 of 2001.
The Streak Is Over... early in October, the Demon Deacons put together a streak of 236:52 scoreless minutes. Edwards recorded four straight shutouts and went 499:34 second before allowing a second half penalty kick in Tuesday night's victory over Davidson.
Sealy Takes Over Second Place... with his goal and assist against Virginia Tech on Oct. 26, senior forward Scott Sealy 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). After adding his 13th goal against Carolina this past Sunday, Sealy moved into fifth place on the single-season goal list.
Five ACC Victories, A First... with the 2-0 victory over North Carolina this past Sunday, Wake Forest reached the five victory plateau in league play for the first time in school history. Wake Forest came quite close 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 59 straight matches Friday night.
Road Warriors... the Deacons finished the 2004 regular season at 6-1 on the road and 8-1-1 away from Spry Stadium. Wake Forest has only completed one season without a single road loss -- 2002 when the Deacs finished the entire regular season unbeaten.
Solle Not Selfish... sophomore Ryan Solle played in just 10 matches last season and picked up just a single point. The midfielder returned this season and has been key to the Demon Deacons success. Solle leads the Deacs in assists with nine. He could become the third player in school history to ever reach 10+ assists in a single-season and the first since Vicente Bastidas in 2001.
Brutal Finish... the Deacons closed the regular season with four consecutive matches on the road, three of which in the ACC. Wake Forest traveled 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.
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
