Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Coastal Carolina University
Demon Deacons Set to Host Coastal Carolina in NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Second Round Matchup
4/30/2021 1:48:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Wake Forest enters the second round matchup seeking a sixth-straight trip to the Round of 16.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- No. 4 Wake Forest (11-2-2) will begin play in the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday night, hosting No. 25 Coastal Carolina (9-4-2) in a second round matchup at Spry Stadium.
Wake Forest -- which has now made 10 consecutive postseason trips -- enters the tournament as the No. 5-overall seed and will host a NCAA Men's Soccer Championship match in Winston-Salem for the ninth-straight season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ESPN3.
Fan Information
Spry Stadium will host a limited number of student-athlete families, Wake Forest students and fans inside Spry Stadium and on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill for Sunday's match, which is sold out. Parking is available in the public lots across the street from Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill, and attendees will enter from the Polo Road spectator entrance.
Approved face coverings will be mandatory along with all other social distancing and safety requirements under Wake Forest, Forsyth County and State of North Carolina regulations as we uphold the Show Humanitate standard of our University.
The Matchup
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The Demon Deacons enter the contest No. 4 in the latest United Soccer Coaches rankings, as the latest inclusion marked the 85th-straight week of appearing in the top-25.
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Additionally, Wake Forest has appeared in the top-10 of that poll for 65-straight weeks.
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The Demon Deacons also received two first-place votes in the latest poll.
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Wake Forest enters the contest on a six-match unbeaten streak as the Demon Deacons this spring are 4-0-2.
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The Demon Deacons were the only ACC squad to score a point in every conference match it played in this spring.
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Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, earned the Sun Belt's automatic bid as the Chanticleers won the conference tournament title in penalty kicks (4-3) against Georgia State on Nov. 15.
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This spring, the Chanticleers were 3-3-1, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over then-No. 9 UNCW on April 3.
Last Time Out
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Wake Forest's last regular season appearance came back on April 2 when the Demon Deacons tied 0-0 with No. 1 Clemson.
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Seven freshmen earned a start in the match including Colin Thomas making his debut in the Starting XI.
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The outcome marked the first time Clemson did not score a goal at home since Oct. 5, 2019, snapping a 14-match streak.
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The Demon Deacons' scheduled regular season finale against Syracuse was canceled due to Covid protocols within the Orange's program.
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Wake Forest hosted Villanova in an exhibition on April 16, defeating the Wildcats 1-0.
Scouting the Chanticleers
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Coastal Carolina has been ranked in all eight of the United Soccer Coaches polls released this spring, reaching as high as No. 16 on April 6.
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The Chanticleers are making their 10th NCAA Men's Soccer Championship appearance in the last 11 seasons.
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Have won at least one postseason match eight times during that span.
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The offense this season has been led by Marcelo Lage, as he has collected a team-high five goals, while Marcello Jones ranks tied for sixth nationally in assists with seven.
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Defensively, the Chanticleers are anchored by 2021 MLS SuperDraft selection Tor Saunders in net. The Akron transfer has made 14 appearances this season allowing 0.82 goals against per match.
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship History
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This season's selection marks the 24th time in the program's 40-year history of making the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.
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The program has made the College Cup six times, including twice under current head coach Bobby Muuss (2016 and 2019).
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In 2007, the Demon Deacons earned their first National Championship by defeating Ohio State 2-1 in the Final.
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The Demon Deacons are 12-5-0 in NCAA Men's Soccer Championship play under Muuss.
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Wake Forest has advanced to the Round of 16 in each of the last five seasons.
Looking Ahead
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The winner of Sunday's match will move on to the Round of 16 to face either Kentucky or New Hampshire. That match will be contested at 12 noon on Sunday at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C.
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After this weekend, all remaining 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship matches will be played in Cary, N.C.
