Women's Soccer Begins Training for 2017 Season
8/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWSoccer)
Photo GalleryWINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's soccer team opened training on Wednesday (Aug. 2) in preparation for the 2017 season, which begins with an exhibition game at NC State on Aug. 11.
"Our kids are capable of doing well this season," said head coach Tony da Luz. "We're competing for a championship in the ACC. I expect our team to be in the upper half of the league and I expect we'll go deep into the NCAA Tournament. We have enough talent and we have a great senior class. I expect good things."
Wake Forest is returning 19 members from the 2016 roster, including its top three scorers from a season ago in Maddie Huster, Peyton Perea and Bayley Feist. The team also welcomes seven true freshmen to the squad this season, which is made up of six seniors, eight juniors and five sophomores.
The Deacs open the season with a pair of exhibition contests, one at NC State on Aug. 11 and one at home against William & Mary, before kicking off the regular season on the road against Georgia on Aug. 19.
The Deacs will host South Carolina on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in the regular season home opener. Eight of Wake Forest's 18 regular season contests will be played at home inside Spry Stadium, including the ACC opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 15.
This season, the Demon Deacons will face seven 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifying teams throughout the regular season, as well as four Power 5 competitors in the non-conference schedule.
"Last year with our nonconference, we did well but it didn't prepare us for the ACC," said da Luz. "From an RPI standpoint we needed to upgrade overall in the strength of schedule and just with preparation for our team. We need to play some tough games to prepare us for ACC play and the postseason."
The Deacs finished the 2016 season with a 10-8 record, complete with seven combined shutouts.
