Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons to Take On Loyola (Md.), Nebraska in Blacksburg
9/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 8, 2011
Complete Wake Forest Notes 
| Loyola Notes
The Wake Forest women's soccer team will make its perennial trip to Blacksburg, Va. this weekend to compete in Virginia Tech's Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational. The Demon Deacons will face Loyola (Md.) on Friday at 5 p.m. and Nebraska on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Stengel Scores Eighth Hat Trick in School History
Sophomore Katie Stengel has accomplished a number of impressive feats in her career, but she had never before scored a hat trick - until last Sunday's game against Campbell.
Stengel scored three second-half goals against the Camels, the first two coming on good setups by Kristen Meier and the third the result of a pinpoint cross from Kelsey Zalimeni.
The Melbourne, Fla. native's hat trick was the eighth in Wake Forest women's soccer history and the first since Sarah Winslow scored three times against UNC Wilmington in 2008.
Wake's eight hat tricks have been scored by five different players.No Wake Forest player has ever scored more than three goals in a single game.
Watch Katie Stengel's Hat Trick vs. Campbell
Deacons Split Matches at WF Nike Challenge
Wake Forest earned a split in its first home matches of the season last weekend, dropping a tight 2-1 decision to Connecticut before rebounding for a 3-0 victory over Campbell.
Katie Stengel took control in the Demon Deacons' win over the Camels, scoring three second-half goals to secure the win. Kristen Meier had the key assists on Stengel's first two goals. Jackie Logue picked up a secondary assist on the first goal and Kelsey Zalimeni provided service on Stengel's third goal. Stengel and Meier were named to the Wake Forest Nike Challenge All-Tournament Team. Aubrey Bledsoe shut out the Camels to earn her third clean sheet of the year.
The Deacs sufferend their first setback of the season against the Huskies. Alisha Woodson gave Wake Forest a first-half lead, scoring in a scrum off of a corner kick, but Danielle Schulmann tied the game in the second half with a goal of her own. Late in the game, Devin Prendergast smashed a shot from 30 yards into the top corner of the net to hand UConn the 2-1 win. Goalkeeper Jessica Dulski was key in keeping the Huskies in the game, making 11 saves.
Stengel Leads the ACC in Goals, Points
As a freshman in 2010, Katie Stengel finished as the ACC scoring leader with 16 goals and 37 points. With three goals and six points last weekend against Campbell, she is once again by herself back on top of the conference.
Stengel has scored seven goals and 16 points so far this season, an astonishing rate of 1.4 goals and 3.2 points per game. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider that through the first five games of the 2010 season, Stengel had scored only three goals and seven points before going on to set new Wake Forest records in both categories.
Bledsoe's Three Shutouts Already Equal 2010 Mark
Goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe has been stellar in the Demon Deacons' first five games and has earned three shutouts this season, already tying her personal season-high set as a freshman in 2010.
The Demon Deacons as a team only kept four clean sheets in 2010, three by Bledsoe and one a joint effort between Bledsoe and Amanda Barasha, but have had a staunch defense so far this season, allowing only three total goals in five games.
While Bledsoe has done an outstanding job in goal this year, much of the credit for the Deacons' shutouts goes to the defenders in front of her. Wake's experienced back line has allowed only 33 total shots this season, and Bledsoe has only been forced to make 12 saves, the second-lowest number of any ACC team.
Scouting Loyola (Md.)
Loyola (Md.) has gotten its 2011 season off to a rocky start as the Greyhounds dropped their first five games by a combined score of 20-2 before rebounding to post their first victory of the year over St. Louis last Sunday.
Junior Nichole Schiro has led Loyola with two goals and two assists so far this season. Didi Haracic has played every minute in goal for the Greyhounds, putting up a 3.67 goals against average and a .607 save percentage.
Scouting Nebraska
It's not often that the Deacons face a team with as dangerous an offensive threat as their own Katie Stengel, but they will be up against exactly that when they take on the Cornhuskers and their prolific forward Morgan Marlborough.
Marlborough earned All-America honors in 2010 and ranked in the top five in Division I in point and goal scoring during both her freshman and sophomore years. She has already gotten off to a flying start this season, leading the Huskers with seven goals and 15 points.
The Huskers as a team have not been quite as successful as their dynamo up top, getting off to a 2-2-1 start. In their only other match against an ACC team this year, they fell 2-1 at home to North Carolina in the season opener. Wake Forest and Nebraska will be meeting for the first time.
What's Next?
The Demon Deacons will play their ACC opener against Florida State on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. at Spry Stadium. The game will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Networks.
