Field Hockey Travels to Virginia for Two-Game Slate

Gameday Central \| Wake Forest at Virginia
Game 2 Game 3	Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:00 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, 12:00 p.m.
Coverage	Live Stats (Saturday) Live Stats \| Watch on ACC Network (Sunday)
Location	Charlottesville, Va. \| Turf Field (Facility Info)
Information	Wake Forest Notes \| @WakeHockey

THE MATCHUP
• Wake Forest field hockey hits the road for the first time this season to face the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday and Sunday.
• Both matches are set for noon . Sunday's meeting will be the ACC opener for both squads and will air on ACC Network.
• There is no public admission to the events and all tailgating in University parking lots is prohibited.

LAST TIME OUT
• Wake Forest opened the 2020 season hosting reigning champion North Carolina. The Tar Heels defeated the Deacons 3-1 at Kentner Stadium.
• Nat Friedman scored the Deacons' first goal of the year, the fourth of her career, in the second quarter to tie the game at 1-1 before UNC answered back netting two more goals.
• Eleanor Winants earned the assist on the goal, finding Friedman from the right side setting up the shot right down the middle.

QUICK HITS
• Head coach Jen Averill returns for her 29th season. She is 383-198-3 (.660) during her tenure with the Deacs.
• The Deacons return 13 players from last year's squad and welcome eight freshmen and a sophomore.
• Wake returns its top-three goal scorers from last season. Laia Vancells led the Deacs in 2019 with 16 points off six goals and four assists. Anne van Hoof netted a team-best seven goals and Alexis Grippo tallied five goals and five assists.
• The ACC is the only conference participating in field hockey this fall. The Deacs will play most ACC schools twice, with only one game counting as a conference match.
• Elisha Evans, Alexis Grippo and Anne van Hoof return for their senior seasons to lead the Deacs and were all three voted captains for the 2020 campaign.
• Jen Averill is assisted by former Team USA teammates Melissa Gonzalez and Jackie Kintzer Briggs. It is the only all-female coaching staff at Wake Forest.
• Megan Anderson ('19) returns to her home turf as a volunteer assistant with the Demon Deacons.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
• Saturday's match will be the 2020 season opener for the Cavaliers. Virginia was predicted to finish second in the ACC Pre-Season Coaches Poll.
• Virginia made a trip to Winston-Salem last year for the NCAA Semifinals, falling 2-1 to Princeton. The Cavaliers finished the year winning 10 of its final 12 contests.
• Virginia led the league with three All-ACC selections in senior Rachel Robinson and juniors Amber Ezechiels and Lauren Hausheer.
• Goalkeeper Hausheer led the ACC with a 1.00 goals-against average last season, which ranked third in the nation. She was second in the ACC with a .744 save percentage

LOOKING AHEAD
• The Deacons will enjoy a bye week before returning to action on October 10 and 11 to host Louisville in Kentner Stadium. Both matches are slated for noon.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elisha Evans

Nat Friedman

Alexis Grippo

Anne van Hoof

Laia Vancells

Eleanor Winants

Wake Forest Athletics