Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
West Virginia
Wake Forest Downs West Virginia 2-0 in Exhibition
8/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 14, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's soccer team won its only exhibition game of 2010, defeating West Virginia 2-0 on Saturday at Spry Stadium.
The two teams played a scoreless first half, but Wake Forest completely dominated the second half, scoring twice on goals by Katie Stengel and Bianca D'Agostino that were less than a minute apart, and outshooting West Virginia 15-1. Overall the Deacons outshot the Mountaineers 18-3.
Stengel gave the Deacons the lead in the 63rd minute when she ran onto a through ball from D'Agostino and dribbled around the keeper before shooting the ball into the empty net. Less than a minute later, Stengel was tripped up by the goalkeeper in the area, drawing a penalty kick which was converted by D'Agostino to put Wake Forest ahead 2-0.
"It was a good outing," said head coach Tony da Luz. "The movement off the ball for our first scrimmage was really good. Defensively we only gave up three shots and some of the young kids that went in did a very good job."
Stengel and Marisa Park both led the Deacons with three shots, with Stengel and D'Agostino both putting two shots on goal.
Almost half of the Wake Forest squad is made up of players who weren't with the team last season, and several of them were able to make an immediate impact. Stengel, a freshman, earned a start at the forward position, sophomore transfer Caralee Keppler started at defense, and freshman Aubrey Bledsoe started in goal.
"Caralee stepped right in and played like she's been here for awhile," said da Luz. "She was strong at right back, and also played well at center back."
"I also thought Katie Stengel was very good creating chances and holding the ball up" da Luz added. "Jackie McSally also did a good job when she went in after she got through her nerves. In the second half I thought she passed the ball really well."
The Demon Deacons had a golden opportunity to take an early lead in the sixth minute when Katie Stengel was tripped up in the penalty area by West Virginia goalkeeper Kerri Butler, giving the Deacons a penalty kick. Stengel stepped up to the spot, but Butler anticipated correctly and made the save.
West Virginia got it's best opportunity of the first half in the ninth minute when a Mountaineer player delivered a glancing header off of a corner kick that Bledsoe pushed just over the crossbar.
Marissa Park almost put Deacs ahead in the 22nd minute, but she pushed a shot just wide past the diving goalkeeper.
Wake Forest's offense exploded in the second half, as the Deacs unleashed 15 shots.
In the 74th minute, the Demon Deacons threatened to make it 3-0 as two close-range shots by Park were blocked before Casey Luckhurst put the ball just over the crossbar.
Wake Forest will open the season on the road at UNC Wilmington on Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m, before returning to Winston-Salem for the home opener against UNC Greensboro on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
"We're cautiously optimistic about the season," said da Luz. "West Virginia is always a good team in the Big East. They're athletic and they're always an NCAA team. For us to perform like we did against a good opponent says good things about where we're going, but we're just starting now so it's too early to get too crazy.
