Wake Forest University
Virginia
Wake Forest Defeats Cavaliers 5-0 in ACC Matchup
10/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 22, 2011
Final Stats | Final Stats (.pdf) 
| Season Stats (.pdf)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest extended its winning streak to six games and won its first ACC game of the season with a 5-0 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers at Kentner Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The win moves the Demon Deacons to .500 for the first time this season, as they now hold an 8-8 overall record with a 1-3 mark in conference play. The Cavaliers sit at 7-11 for 2011 and are 0-4 in the ACC.
Sophomore Molly Murphy opened the scoring early for the Deacs, who grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute. Following a penalty corner, the defender fired a blistering shot from the top of the circle which found the back of the cage. Senior Lauren Greenwald, who acted as the stopper, and sophomore Jess McFadyen, who inserted the corner, were each credited with an assist on the goal.
Just five minutes later, at the 19:42 mark, junior Lizzie Rae gave Wake an insurance goal with her first score of the contest. Another penalty corner set her up in front of the net, but Virginia goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone saved her initial shot on goal. Rae then collected her own rebound and beat Johnstone on her second attempt.
Rae struck again just before halftime, notching her second goal of the game and 10th of the season in the 32nd minute. She charged through the Cavalier defense from 25 yards out, but drew a whistle and had to take the restart. The junior took it herself, broke through the defense once again and finally got off the shot from the left side of the circle to beat the keeper.
Senior Emily Cummings tallied her second goal in as many games when she scored at the 43:25 mark. Lauren Greenwald, though she was not credited with an assist, beat a Virginia defender and made it into the circle before firing a shot. It was deflected off an opposing player in front of the net and collected by Cummings, who beat Adrienne Ostroff for her fifth goal of the year.
In her first action of the season since suffering a knee injury in the spring, senior Kerry Ergen took only 52 seconds to score her first goal. She entered the game as a sub for Adelaide Knott with 19 minutes remaining, and promptly found the back of the cage at 51:52. Freshman Anna Kozniuk sent the ball into the circle for Ergen, who deflected the ball past Ostroff for the Deacs' final score of the day.
"I couldn't be prouder. It was a phenomenal performance by everybody, and it was captivated by Kerry Ergen. No one else returns from an ACL injury and comes out five and a half months later and does what she did by scoring a goal. That was beautiful," head coach Jennifer Averill said following the game.
Junior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Ruhf recorded her first career ACC shutout by holding Virginia without a goal. It was the fourth overall shutout of her career and the first since she blanked Indiana 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 14, 2009.
The shutout also marks the third straight for Wake Forest, a feat that the Demon Deacons have not completed since the 2006 season. The Deacs defeated North Carolina (3-0) and Maryland (1-0) in the semifinals and finals of the ACC Championship before defeating American (5-0) in the First Round of the NCAA Championship.
"The difference is Lauren Greenwald, Cristen Atchison and our entire backfield with Anna, Molly and Jess have really just done a fantastic job of cleaning it up and allowing Kaitlyn to make the saves she needs to make. They're not giving her a lot of pressure, and anytime the keeper can just organize and the pressure be taken by the defense, then you have what you want," Averill said of the defensive effort.
"Sticks for the Cure", the theme of the afternoon's contest meant to raise awareness for breast cancer, raised $845 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Wake Forest will return to action for its final matchup of the regular season next Saturday, Oct. 29, as it hosts Boston College at Kentner Stadium for a 1:00 p.m. ACC showdown.
