Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
UCF
No. 18 Deacons Earn Road Shutout Against UCF
8/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2011
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF) 
ORLANDO, Fla. - Two difficult road games to open the season, two wins. The 18th-ranked Wake Forest women's soccer team used a solid defensive effort and a cracking goal from Rachel Nuzzolese to earn its second road victory in three days over a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year, shutting out Central Florida 1-0 at the UCF Soccer Complex on Sunday evening.
Nuzzolese's blast came in the 60th minute when she executed a nice combination with Katie Stengel before powering a ball past UCF goalkeeper Aline Reis. The Demon Deacon defense did the rest, holding the Golden Knights to only two shots in the second half. Aubrey Bledsoe made four first-half saves to earn her first shutout of the season and the fourth of her career.
The win gave the Deacons a 2-0 start to the season after they posted a 4-1 road win at Auburn on Friday.
"We've been preparing and practicing for (these first two games) so to get two wins out of it was just a phenomenal result that we wanted," said Nuzzolese. "It felt to great score and it was phenomenal assist from Katie."
The Demon Deacons held a 9-8 edge in shots, putting six of them on frame, and were unlucky not to have scored two more goals as Reis was twice called into duty to make top-notch saves.
Nuzzolese was the primary offensive threat for the Deacs, taking five shots, including four on net. Despite being held without a shot for only the second time in her career, Stengel was a force up top all night holding possession and drew a double-team that allowed her to release Nuzzolese for the game-winning goal.
(Katie and I) have been practicing working together more so I think we have better chemistry together," said Nuzzolese. "We play together and feed off of each other, and it looks great, so we should get a lot of goals this season.
Wake Forest's back line of Jackie Logue, Caralee Keppler, Alisha Woodson and Kim Marshall kept UCF star Tishia Jewell out of dangerous positions throughout the match. Although the prolific Knights forward led all players with six shots, none seriously threatened the Demon Deacon goal.
Nuzzolese had a golden chance to put Wake Forest ahead in the 23rd minute when a misplayed header by a UCF center back left her one-on-one with goalkeeper Reis. She controlled the bouncing ball, but her heavy shot went straight into the sliding keeper and ricocheted back to midfield.
Jordan Feger created a good opportunity in the 48th minute, running to the end line before cutting back to find India Winford in the box. Winford hit a strong shot on frame that UCF keeper Reis fisted off of the bar and her defenders cleaned up the rebound.
Nuzzolese gave the Deacons the lead in the 60th minute, taking a pass from Katie Stengel and ripping an absolute screamer from the left past Reis for her first goal of the season.
The Demon Deacons will travel back home to Winston-Salem for a couple days before making the short trip down I-40 to face intrastate rival UNC Greensboro on Friday at 6 p.m.
