Wake Forest University
Virginia Tech
Twumasi's Brace Sends No. 2 Deacs to College Cup
12/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Locked in a scoreless draw late in the game Saturday night at Spry Stadium, Ema Twumasi scored twice just two minutes apart to lift No. 2 Wake Forest to a 2-0 victory over Virginia Tech in the Elite Eight.
The Demon Deacons have now gone 12 games in a row without a loss and are back in the College Cup for the first time since the 2009 season. The appearance in the Final Four marks the fifth in program history with the first four coming from 2006-09. Sitting at 18-2-3 on the season, the win total marks the most since winning 21 games in 2007 on the way to the national championship and is tied with the 2006 campaign for the third-most in a single season in program history. Virginia Tech, picked to finish last in the ACC's Coastal Division, finishes the season 13-5-4 and was one of five ACC teams to reach the Elite Eight this year.
Twumasi's first goal came in the 80th minute. Ian Harkes played a ball to Twumasi in the box and the freshman from Accra, Ghana, shook his defender to give himself a lot of time to setup his shot. He fired a low shot that beat the keeper and gave the Deacs a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Twumasi had nearly the same opportunity in the same spot and he took his shot, but this time is was stopped. The rebound, though, went right back to Twumasi and he didn't miss on his second chance in tallying his sixth goal of the year.
Twumasi followed Jon Bakero's two-goal performance last time out against Coastal Carolina. With Bakero and Twumasi scoring twice in back-to-back games, it's the first time since Bakero scored twice in consecutive games on Oct. 17 and Oct. 21, 2014, against Boston College and Howard the Demon Deacons have had players score twice in back-to-back games.
In goal, Andreu Cases Mundet made one save and moved to 6-1-0 on the season with four shutouts. The clean sheet marked the 13th of the season for the Demon Deacons, which closes in on the program record of 15 set during the national championship run in 2007.
Without a loss in 12 games dating back to its last defeat at Clemson on Sept. 30, Wake Forest's streak is tied for the fifth-best in program history. The Deacs also went on a 12-game unbeaten streak last season and in 1989, the first time Wake Forest won the ACC Tournament championship.
Saturday's game was the 200th career game as a head coach for Bobby Muuss. He now has an all-time record of 109-61-30 and a gaudy 35-5-5 record in 45 games at Wake Forest.
Wake Forest moves on to the College Cup to face sixth-seeded Denver. The College Cup is set to start on Friday, Dec. 9, and will be held in Houston, Texas. Wake Forest/Denver will be played at either 6 or 8:45 p.m. EST.
The Demon Deacons and Pioneers have never met previously. Prior to joining the Demon Deacons before the 2015 season, Muuss was the head coach at Denver for eight seasons and amassed a record of 74-56-25. Denver is coached by former Demon Deacon Jamie Franks. He graduated in 2008 after winning the national championship as a Deacon in 2007. Franks was an assistant coach under Muuss at Denver before taking over as head coach after Muuss departed for Wake Forest. Friday's game will mark the first time Wake Forest will oppose a team coached by a former Demon Deacon.
Denver is 20-0-3 on the season and Franks as a head coach in two seasons at Denver has an overall record of 35-1-6. Over the course of the last two seasons, Denver leads the nation for fewest goals allowed with just 19. This year alone, Wake Forest and Denver are tied for the national lead in goals against average.
