Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Connecticut
Connecticut Edges Wake Forest 2-1 in Nike Challenge
9/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 2, 2011
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Connecticut's Devin Prendergast found the back of the net on a 30-yard blast in the 84th minute to hand the Huskies a 2-1 win over Wake Forest on Friday evening at Spry Stadium, spoiling the Demon Deacon women's soccer team's perfect start to the season.
In a game that featured continuous swashbuckling attacks from both sides, the Deacons (3-1) struck first in the 38th minute when Alisha Woodson had two cracks at goal after a corner kick, connecting on the second one to give the Deacons a 1-0 lead. Woodson's goal was her first of the season and the second of her career.
The Huskies (2-1), a perennial powerhouse, answered back shortly after the halftime break as Julie Hubbard crossed the ball across the goal mouth, finding Danielle Schulmann at the back post, who battled off a defender to push the ball across the goal line.
Prendergast's game-winner was blistering strike from 30 yards out in the center of the field that beat a diving Bledsoe and found the top-right corner of the net, handing the Huskies the victory.
The start of the game was pushed back almost two hours due to lightning that caused two lengthy delays in the day's first match which saw Virginia Tech defeat Campbell.
Wake Forest dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Connecticut 18-10 and putting 12 shots on frame compared to only five for the Huskies. UConn keeper Jessica Dulski was tested a number of times, making 11 saves, including several of the highlight-reel variety. Bledsoe made three saves, including a top-notch one of her own. Wake took eight corner kicks compared to only two for UConn.
Kelsey Zalimeni made her first-career start for the Demon Deacons, playing 21 minutes in the midfield.
After the Huskies had tied the game at 1-1, the Deacons responded with a flurry of shots, including several that forced Dulski into action. After a misplayed ball left Dulski off her line, Ally Berry saw the vacant goal and took a shot that forced the Husky keeper to rush back and make the save. Only seconds later, Stengel had a turnaround shot that Dulski had to fully extend her body to fist over the goal line for a corner kick.
After Prendergrast scored the eventual game-winner for UConn, the Deacons pushed players forward and had their best opportunity to equalize on a Marisa Park header in the 87th minute, but the shot went straight to Dulski.
The Demon Deacons will continue play in the Wake Forest Nike Challenge on Sunday afternoon when they face Campbell at 2 p.m. The Camels fell 3-2 to Virginia Tech earlier today.
