Field Hockey Travels to Virginia for Two-Game Slate

Saturday, September 26

Charlottesville, VA

12 PM

Wake Forest University

Virginia

9/25/2020 12:05:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Grace Bolin, Wake Athletic Communications

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.