Wake Forest University
Iowa
No. 11 Deacs Open Season in ACC/Big Ten Challenge against No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan
8/26/2021 11:50:00 AM | Field Hockey
Wake Forest begins the new slate against a pair of top-five opponents in Iowa City on Friday and Sunday.
IOWA CITY, Iowa - No. 11 Wake Forest field hockey is set to open the new season in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge against No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan in Iowa City at Grant Field.
The Deacs' opener versus the Hawkeyes is slated for a 4:30 p.m. ET start. Fans can stream the season opener on the Big Ten Network + with a paid subscription.
Sunday's matchup against the Wolverines will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeHockey) for all in-game updates and information.
2021 Season Outlook
Wake Forest returns 17 players from the 2021 spring campaign. 90.1% of their point scorers, 89.2% of their goal scorers and 92% of their assists from the 2020-21 season will be back in the Old Gold and Black this season.
Coming off an All-American campaign last year, Meike Lanckohr was named to the 2021 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey team. In 2020-21, she led the Deacs with a career-high 12 points with four goals and four assists to become the 12th Demon Deacon to reach NFHCA All-America status in the last 10 years and the 47th All-American since 2000.
In the goal, sophomore Tori Glaister looks to build upon a stellar freshman year. In 10 starts, the London, England native made 43 saves (.632 percent) on 146 shots faced while allowing just 25 goals, highlighted by a career-high seven goals against North Carolina in the ACC Automatic Qualifier Game.
Seven newcomers will look to bolster the experienced Wake Forest squad and contribute during their first season in Winston-Salem.
2021 Spring Recap
The Deacs finished the spring portion of the 2020-21 season with a 3-2 record, good for second place in the ACC.
Wake Forest started the conference campaign with a 3-0 shutout victory over Boston College at Kentner Stadium on March 6. A fast start propelled the Deacs as the team found the back of the net in the first quarter with a goal by Nat Friedman. Hannah Maxwell added to the Wake Forest advantage with a pair of second half scores, the first goals of her career. Maxwell became the first Demon Deacon to record a pair of scores in a game since Grace Delmotte on Nov. 1, 2020.
Additionally, Eleanor Winants posted a hat trick, assisting on the trio of goals to record a new career high. Tori Glastier was tough in the cage, earning her first-career victory after tallying a career-best six saves.
Next, the Deacs welcomed the Tar Heels to Kentner for their second game of the spring, falling 2-0. Wake Forest responded by rattling off two-straight wins against Duke and Virginia.
Their 4-1 victory at Duke on March 19 came after a pair of goals in the first and second half as Friedman, Olivia Corthals, Meike Lanckohr and Maxwell all found the back of the net in the win.
Maxwell was the hero in the 3-2 win over Virginia as the rookie netted the golden goal in overtime, the Deacs' fourth attempt of the extra period.
After a cancellation due to weather in Syracuse, Wake Forest finished off the regular season at Louisville, dropping the finale by a final score of 4-1.
Maxwell earned a pair of All-ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors for her contributions in the shutout victory over Boston College and her game-winning goal versus Virginia. Additionally, Glastier was recognized as ACC Defensive Player of the Week on March 23 for her instrumental role in the 4-1 victory over Duke, saving a career-high tying six shots and helping the Deacs hold the Blue Devils scoreless for 52-plus minutes of game action.
The Streak Continues
The Wake Forest field hockey team was ranked No. 11 in the 2021 Preseason National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll.
This marks the 28th-straight NFCHA poll the Deacs have been featured in. Last year, Wake Forest opened the season at No. 13 before ultimately rising to No. 9 for two-straight polls from April 6-20, it's highest ranking since the poll's creation in 2018.
Deacs in the NFHCA Poll
-
March 16, 2021: 13
-
March 23, 2021: 11
-
March 30, 2021: 10
-
April 6, 2021: 9
-
April 13, 2021: 9
-
April 20, 2021:11
-
April 28, 2021: 10
-
Preseason 2021: 11
Olympic Pedigree
Head coach Jennifer Averill heads into her 30th year at the helm of the program. On Averill's staff, the Deacs have three assistant coaches who have Olympic experience with Team USA. They were all teammates at one point, as well.
-
Melissa Gonzalez- Fourth year on staff
-
Jackie Kintzer Briggs- Second year on staff
-
Lauren Liska- First year on staff
Liska, whose maiden name is Crandall, is a first ballot inductee into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. Additionally, Liska was a member of Wake Forest's 2003 and 2004 national championship teams. The Doylestown, Pa. native finished her collegiate career as a three-time All-American, earning third team honors in 2004 and first team honors in 2005 and 2006.
Gonzalez, Kintzer Briggs and Liska were all teammates on the national level with Team USA for six years.
Up Next
Wake Forest returns to the friendly confines of Kentner Stadium for their next three games, beginning with a matchup against Appalachian State on Sept. 4 at Noon. The Deacs head into a pair of ranked-battles against No. 22 Ohio State (Sept. 10) and No. 24 James Madison (Sept. 12), which will be broadcasted live on ACC Network.
The Deacs then travel to Durham for their first conference contest of the season against No. 12 Duke on Sept. 17.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
