Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons to Host Radford in Exhibition Thursday
8/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 10, 2011
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The 2011 Wake Forest women's soccer team will take the field together for the first time on Thursday when it hosts Radford in an exhibition match at 7 p.m. at Spry Stadium.
The Demon Deacons, who are ranked No. 18 nationally by the NSCAA, head into the 2011 season looking to build off a successful 2010 campaign that saw them capture the program's first ACC championship.
Eight starters and 17 letter-winners return from last year's team, highlighted by Top Drawer Soccer's 2010 National Rookie of the Year Katie Stengel, who set new Wake Forest single-season records with 16 goals and 37 points in 2010. Rachel Nuzzolese, who scored nine goals in 11 games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, is also back on the pitch for the Demon Deacons.
After starting every game of her freshman season and earning ACC Tournament MVP honors, Aubrey Bledsoe will be back in goal for Wake, and the Deacs also return four key defenders in Amanda Howell, Jackie Logue, Caralee Keppler, Alisha Woodson. Jackie McSally, Kristen Meier and Marisa Park will once again be manning the midfield.
Seven incoming freshman and one transfer make up the newcomer contingent on this year's squad, including four Californians in midfielder Riley Ridgik, defender Kim Marshall, defender Jessica Mandarich and goalkeeper Lindsey Luke. Freshman defender Lilias Gordon is the first-ever player from New Mexico to play for the Demon Deacons. Midfielder Lindsey Ervin and defender Lane Czura round out the freshman class. Annick McBryar is the lone transfer to join the Deacs this year, coming to Wake Forest from the University of Florida.
Wake Forest will play another exhibition match on the road at VCU on Aug. 14, before opening the season with road games against Auburn (Aug. 19) and Central Florida (Aug. 21).
