Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Travels to Louisville for Final Game of the Regular Season
4/16/2021 12:15:00 PM | Field Hockey
Deacs look to clinch top-2 finish in Spring ACC standings.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- No. 9 Wake Forest hits the road for the final time in the 2020-21 regular season, taking on No. 4 Louisville at Trager Stadium on Saturday at noon.
The Demon Deacons (6-9, 3-1 ACC) are looking to clinch second place in ACC standings with a win, after taking down Virginia 3-2 in overtime on March 27. Louisville (12-6, 2-3 ACC) will look to rebound after dropping a game to Duke 1-0 in overtime on April 10.
Wake Forest fans can watch all the action on ACC Network Extra.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeHockey) for all in-game updates and information.
Back In The Top 10
Wake Forest continued their rise in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's poll over the past two weeks, holding the No. 9 spot in the NFHCA's fifth poll of the season after rising up to that rank in April 6th's poll.
This marks the 23rd-straight poll that the Deacs have been ranked, and the highest ranking for the program since Sept. 6, 2016, when Wake Forest also ranked ninth in the NFCHA poll. Wake Forest opened the 2021 coaches poll at No. 13 on March 16.
All seven ACC field hockey programs ranked within the top 15 of the NFCHA poll, with four teams in the top 10. Defending national champion North Carolina is ranked No. 1, with Louisville (No. 4), Wake Forest (No. 9) and Boston College (No. 10) rounding out the top 10.
Maxwell Nets Second ACC Honor
For her late-game heroics on March 27, freshman Hannah Maxwell was named Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this spring.
Maxwell netted the biggest year of her career, lifting then-No. 11 Wake Forest to a 3-2 overtime victory over then-No. 13 Virginia at Kentner Stadium for the Deacs' third win of the spring.
Three minutes into the overtime period, the Forty Fort, Penn. native pushed the ball through the defender's legs and fired the game winner past the Cavalier goalie for her fourth goal of the season and her first career game winner.
On March 9, Maxwell earned the first conference accolade of her career thanks to a two-goal performance in the Deacs' 3-0 spring opening victory against Boston College. The forward became the first Demon Deacon to notch two scores in a game since her classmate Grace Delmotte did so on Nov. 1, 2020 against the Eagles.
Last Time Out
Freshman forward Hannah Maxwell netted the biggest goal of her young career, lifting the Wake Forest field hockey team to a 3-2 overtime victory against Virginia on March 27 at Kentner Stadium.
After Virginia opened the scoring late in the first quarter, freshman Grace Delmotte scored the first goal for the Demon Deacons, and her fifth of the season, off an assist from junior Laia Vancells in the second quarter.
Remaining on the attack, Wake Forest scored its second goal five minutes later when junior Abby Carpenter recorded her first goal of the season on a penalty corner opportunity. Sophomore Meike Lanckohr notched the assist on the play.
The Cavaliers broke through with less than two minutes remaining in the match to even the score at two goals apiece. Undaunted, Wake Forest came out aggressive in the overtime period and scored on its fourth attempt to win the match. UVA did not record a shot in the extra period.
Scouting the Cardinals
Louisville is led up front by Mercedes Pastor. The Argentine has compiled a team-leading 12 goals to go along with five assists, leading the team in overall points with 29. Fellow senior Alli Bitting leads the Cardinals in assists with eight.
In the cage, redshirt sophomore Sam Minrath has taken over primary goalkeeper duties in the spring after the departure of redshirt senior Hollyn Barr following the fall season. The Louisville, Ky. native sports a 1.16 GAA and a 4-3 record across seven starts.
2020-21 Spring Season Information
Saturday marks the final game of six scheduled games against conference opponents this spring. The ACC was the only conference in Division I to play a fall field hockey season, as the NCAA moved its championship to the spring. The NCAA Tournament, normally welcoming 16 programs each fall, will welcome 10 automatic qualifiers and two at-large teams into its 12-team field this spring.
The top ACC finisher this spring will face fall champion North Carolina on April 23 to claim the conference's automatic qualifying spot to the NCAA tournament. NCAA Tournament selection is scheduled for April 24.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
