Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Set for First Exhibition Sunday at Furman
8/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Andrew Wilson, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Guided by first-year head coach Bobby Muuss, the Wake Forest men's soccer team will open its 2015 campaign on Sunday night at 7 p.m. with an exhibition against Furman in Greenville, South Carolina.
Live stats for the contest can be found by visiting the men's soccer schedule on WakeForestSports.com, or by clicking here. A recap of the match will be accessible following the match on WakeForestSports.com.
The Demon Deacons and Paladins have met on 19 previous occasions during regular-season action but have not met during the season since the 2007 season when the Deacs topped Furman 1-0 at home. Last time the two teams met came in an exhibition prior to the 2013 season at Spry Stadium. The Demon Deacons came out a 3-2 victor on the evening thanks in large part to a hat trick by Sean Okoli.
"We have a good, collective group," Muuss said. "Myself and the staff, we have a challenge to try to put guys in the right places for their individual success, but also more importantly for the overall team's success. The goals at Wake Forest don't change. We want to win championships and I know we talk about it a lot, but there's a lot of steps that you have to take in order to win a championship and I think the guys started taking some of those steps this summer being a committed group and really going after it."
The Demon Deacons return 10 starters, including the team's two top goal-scorers Michael Gamble and Ricky Greensfelder. Both players notched six goals in 2014 as the Deacons went 10-7-2 in then-head coach Jay Vidovich's final season with the program. Wake Forest also returns its starting goalkeeper Alec Ferrell, who played all 19 games and 1,756:01 of the 2014 season between the pipes. He recorded four shutouts along the way, which included a 1-0 overtime victory against then-No. 9 Louisville on Nov. 1 at Spry Stadium.
"We're looking to build a lot of good chemistry moving forward towards the season," junior midfielder Ian Harkes. "We're always chasing trophies so we're going to be looking for wins right off the bat and building a good team base."
Wake Forest will come home following its contest against Furman for a second exhibition on Saturday, Aug. 22, against Kentucky. The opening kick is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Deacs are set to open the regular season on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. at Spry Stadium against Santa Clara. The match marks the first of four straight home matches to start the season.
Fans can purchase single game tickets and season tickets for both the men's and women's soccer programs. Single game tickets are $5 per game and $3 for groups of eight or more. Season tickets are $48 for adults and $27 for youth and seniors. For more information, please call (336) 758-3322.
