Wake Forest University
Furman University (Exhibition)
Demon Deacons to Face Furman in First Exhibition of Season
8/13/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Wake Forest men's soccer will play in its first tune-up for the 2021 season on Sunday night vs. Furman.
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Wake Forest men's soccer is back in action on Sunday night to begin preparations for the 2021 season, as the Demon Deacons will make the trek south to Greenville, S.C., to take on the Furman Paladins.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and live stats will be available here.
The Matchup
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Wake Forest enters the 2021 season ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, which was released last week.
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The Demon Deacons have now been ranked in the top-25 of the United Soccer Coaches poll for 87-straight weeks and the top-10 for 67-straight weeks.
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Furman finished the 2020-21 season with a 7-2-1 overall record while going 5-0-1 in SoCon regular season action.
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The Deacs' last appearance came on May 10, when they were defeated 2-1 by North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. They finished the split season going 13-3-2.
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The two programs have met 19 times in regular season action, with Wake Forest holding a 9-6-4 advantage over Furman.
Last Time Out
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The Demon Deacons fell to North Carolina 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Wake Forest defeated Coastal Carolina and Kentucky in postseason action before falling to the Tar Heels.
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It was Wake Forest's only loss during the spring portion of the 2020-21 season, as the Demon Deacons finished the campaign with a 13-3-2 overall record.
Quick Hits
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The Deacs come into the new season with the No.1-ranked recruiting class according to TopDrawerSoccer.com. Five of the new additions to the Deacons' roster earned a top-150 ranking in the Class of 2021.
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Leading goal scorer Kyle Holcomb tallied nine goals and two assists during the 2020-21 season. The senior comes into his fourth season with a chance to break into the top-10 in program history for both goals and points.
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Fellow senior Holland Rula has become a mainstay on the Deacs' backline, starting 17 games in the 2020-21 season. He also notched three assists, tied for second-most on the team.
Scouting the Paladins
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Furman comes into this match following a SoCon Tournament semifinals exit at the hands of Belmont to end the 2021 spring season.
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Furman went undefeated in the SoCon during the regular season, winning every game but one, a goalless draw with Wofford.
Looking Ahead
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Wake Forest will host Coastal Carolina at Spry Stadium for the second and final exhibition of the 2021 season. The match is slated to kick-off at 7 p.m.
