Soccer Gameday: No. 1 Wake Forest vs. Charlotte
11/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
| NCAA Championship | Wake Forest vs. Charlotte | |
| vs. Charlotte | Sunday, Nov. 22, 1 p.m. |
| Location | Winston-Salem, N.C. (Spry Stadium) Weather | Facility Info |
| Coverage | | Twitter Updates  |
| Information | Wake Forest Notes (PDF)  | ACC Weekly Release |
| Info | NCAA Bracket | Digital Program | Buy Tickets |
Wake Forest opens NCAA Tourney Run vs. Charlotte
• The Demon Deacons look to avenge last season's first-round PK loss to UMBC when they open their NCAA title run on Sunday, Nov. 22, against Charlotte.
• All-time, Wake Forest holds a 7-6-3 advantage in the series, but the Deacs have not topped Charlotte since Oct. 10, 2001, and have either tied or lost four-straight against the 49ers dating back to the 2009 season.
• Wake Forest is looking for its first NCAA Tournament win since beating Navy at home in 2013 by the score of 2-1.
Last Time Out
• Notre Dame stifled the Wake Forest attack and held the Deacs off the scoreboard for just the third time this season in a 1-0 win in the ACC Semifinals on Nov. 11.
• A second-half goal for the Irish with 30 minutes to play was all it took for Notre Dame to reach the finals. It eventually lost 1-0 to seventh-seeded Syracuse.
Scouting the 49ers
• Charlotte has won eight of its last 10 contests and has lost just once since falling 1-0 to Clemson on Oct. 6, posting an 8-1-1 record during the stretch.
• The 49ers were knocked out of the C-USA Tournament in the semifinals on penalty kicks against Marshall after battling to a 1-1 draw. The only loss during the last 10 games came in a 2-1 defeat against Kentucky in double overtime.
• Charlotte is led by Kyle Parker with 12 goals and 27 points while Brandt Bronico has tallied eight goals and 10 assists for 26 points.
Running the ACC
• All-time, Wake Forest is 21-14-4 in the NCAA Tourney with a 5-2-1 record as the overall No. 1 seed.
• This season marks the ninth time in program history Wake Forest has earned a top-five seed in the NCAA Championship. The Deacs were No. 1 in 2002, 2004 and 2008, No. 2 in 2006 and 2007, No. 3 in 2003 and 2009 and No. 5 in 1999.
• This year's NCAA Tournament appearance is Wake Forest's 19th in the Big Dance and the 13th in the last 14 years.
The Wake Forest/Charlotte Rivalry
• Wake Forest and Charlotte combine for 30 all-time NCAA Tourney appearances and six College Cup appearances. Wake Forest won the 2007 national championship while Charlotte finished as the national runner up in 2011, falling to North Carolina in the finals.
• The series between the two teams is quite streaky. Charlotte is 3-0-1 in the last four contests going back to 2009, but Wake Forest went 7-2 over the previous nine from 1983 to 2001, including an 8-1 win at home in 2001. In the first three meetings all-time, Wake Forest went 0-1-2.
Looking Ahead
• Should Wake Forest advance past Charlotte, the Deacs would welcome the winner of No. 16 Indiana and Connecticut to Spry Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 29. First kick for the Indiana/UConn game is Sunday at 12 p.m. in Bloomington, Indiana.
Media Policies
• All media planning to attend the NCAA Championship in Winston-Salem must request a credential from Andrew Wilson of the Wake Forest Athletic Communications Office. All approved credentials will be left at Will Call at the ticket office next to the main gate and can be picked up on the day of the game. Space in the press box at Spry Stadium is limited, but there is a row of media seating reserved in front of the press box that runs the length of the box that will accommodate media members.
• Postgame interviews will be held in the hospitality tent on the practice field behind the press box or on the field and will be determined before the game. The winning head coach will have a 10-minute "cooling off" period before he and two players enter the interview area. The losing head coach and two players will be available to media approximately 10 minutes after the winning coach begins.