Soccer Gameday: No. 2 Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech
12/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
| NCAA Tournament Gameday Central | Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech | |
| vs. Va. Tech | Saturday, Dec. 3, at 5:00 p.m. |
| Location | Winston-Salem, N.C. (Spry Stadium) - Facility Information | Weather |
| Game Coverage | ESPN3 |  |
| Game Info | @WakeMSoccer  | Wake Forest Game Notes  |
| NCAA Info | Buy Tickets | Championship Central | 2016 Bracket |
Wake Forest Takes Aim at First College Cup Since 2009
• In the Elite Eight for the second-straight season, Wake Forest will look to get to the College Cup for the fifth time in program history on Saturday when it welcomes ACC foe Virginia Tech to Spry Stadium for a 5 p.m. matchup on ESPN3.
• The Demon Deacons earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and earned a first-round bye with the seed. In the first two games, Wake Forest has defeated Coastal Carolina (2-0) and SIUE (2-1). In two seasons under Bobby Muuss, Wake Forest has now been the No. 1 overall seed and No. 2 overall seed.
Ticket Information
• Tickets at Spry Stadium are priced at $5 for general admission. Tickets for seniors are set at $3 and Wake Forest student tickets are $1. Children three and under are admitted free. Admission onto Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill is priced the same as tickets inside the stadium.
• The first 300 students on the hill with their student ID will receive free admission to the game.
Last Time Out
• Jon Bakero's brace with the first goal coming in the third minute of play set the tone for the day as Wake Forest defeated SIUE Sunday, Nov. 27, in the Sweet 16 by the final of 2-1.
• Wake Forest outshot the Cougars 24-6 in the game, controlling possession most of the evening. After scoring the first goal, Bakero scored the game-winner in the 72nd minute when he deflected a shot by Ema Twumasi back across goal and into an open net. His first goal came when Jacori Hayes found him from the touchline wide open in the middle of the penalty area six yards away from goal and he rocketed a volley past the keeper for the score.
• SIUE tied the Deacs in the 41st minute when Austin Ledbetter put home a rebound off a corner kick. The goal marked the first allowed in a first half of play since Syracuse tallied in the first half in the regular-season finale on Oct. 28 in New York.
Scouting the Hokies
• Picked to finish last in the ACC's Coastal Division this season, Virginia Tech made waves throughout the season and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. In three tournament games thus far, the Hokies have topped East Tennessee State 1-0, 10-seed Charlotte on the road by the score of 3-2 and seven-seed Indiana, also on the road, by the final of 2-1 in overtime.
• Virginia Tech is led by Marcelo Acuna's 11 goals this year. He is far and away the team's leading scorer with Alessandro Mion second on the club with four. Fifteen other Hokies this season, though, have scored at least once, but none of those players have scored more than twice.
• Away from home, Virginia Tech has posted a 5-3-2 record. In ACC play, the Hokies picked up victories over NC State, Duke and Pittsburgh while battling bitter-rival Virginia to a scoreless draw in Charlottesville.
• All-time, Wake Forest has dominated the series with the Hokies in leading 16-3-2. In Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons have won eight of nine matches, posting an 8-1-0 record. Last time the two met, though, Virginia Tech won 2-0 in Blacksburg.
Captain Hayes
• Senior captain Jacori Hayes has scored the game-winning goal in three of Wake Forest's five postseason games this season.
• He netted the winner against Notre Dame in the ACC Quarterfinals on Nov. 6, the winner in the ACC Tournament title game against Clemson and the winner against Coastal Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Hayes has scored a career-high eight goals this season. In the last two seasons, Hayes has scored 13 goals with 10 going down as game-winners.
NCAA History and Info
• A season ago, Wake Forest fell 2-1 in the Elite Eight in overtime against eventual national champion Stanford. The run was the deepest for a Wake Forest team since going to the College Cup in 2009.
• Wake Forest earned the No. 2 seed this season, the third time in program history the Demon Deacons have earned the overall No. 2 seed. In 2006, the Deacs were the No. 2 seed and reached the College Cup but were eliminated in PKs against UC-Santa Barbara. Last time Wake Forest was the No. 2 seed in 2007, the Demon Deacons won the national championship.
• All-time, Wake Forest holds a 25-15-4 record in the NCAA Tournament.
• Head coach Bobby Muuss owns a personal NCAA Tournament record of 4-4-1.
At Denver (0-3-1):
2008: 11/22, L, 0-4 vs. No. 17 UC-Davis
2010: 11/18, L, 0-1 (2 OT) vs. UC-Santa Barbara
2013: 11/21, T, 0-0 (eliminated in PKs) vs. No. 17 Louisville
2014: 11/20, L, 0-1 vs. No. 25 Oregon State
At Wake Forest (3-1-0)
2015: 11/22, W, 1-0 vs. Charlotte
11/29, W, 1-0 vs. No. 16 Indiana
12/5, L, 1-2 (OT) vs. No. 8 Stanford
Looking Ahead
• With a victory, Wake Forest would reach the College Cup for the first time since 2009. The Demon Deacons would play the winner of third-seeded Clemson and sixth-seeded Denver. The Deacs' semifinal game time would be determined after Saturday's game.
• The Deacons split the first two games of the season with Clemson, falling during the regular season but winning in the ACC title game. The Deacs have never played Denver.
Media Policies
• All media planning to attend the NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem must request a credential from Andrew Wilson of the Wake Forest Athletic Communications office. All approved credentials will be left at the credential table at the main gate of Spry Stadium 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 row that can accommodate media members.
• Postgame interviews will be held on the Spry Stadium practice field behind the main concourse or on the field and will be determined during the second half of the game. Coaches and requested players will have a 10-minute "cooling off" period before interviews will be held.
