Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Appalachian State
No. 11 Deacs Set for Home Opener against Appalachian State
9/2/2021 9:32:00 AM | Field Hockey
Wake Forest opens a three-match homestand on Saturday against the Mountaineers.
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 11 Wake Forest field hockey team welcomes Appalachian State to Kentner Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4 for their first home match of the 2021 season.
The in-state, non-conference contest between the Deacs (0-2) and Mountaineers (1-1) is slated to begin at 12:00 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeHockey) for all in-game updates and information.
Promotional Schedule
The first 200 fans in attendance on Saturday will receive a free slice of pizza. Additionally, 2021 Wake Forest field hockey posters and schedule cards will be available for pick up on the concourse.
Opponent & Series history
The Deacs and Mountaineers face off in their 55th match in program history. Wake Forest holds a 37-16-1 record over the in-state rival.
The 37 wins against App State is the largest number of victories against an opponent in Wake Forest field hockey history:
• App State, 37
• Davidson, 36
• Duke, 34
Last Time Out
Wake Forest fell in their first two matches of the season against a pair of top-five opponents in No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan.
The Demon Deacons fought all the way back from three first-period scores from Iowa, beginning with Brooke McCusker's first collegiate goal in the second frame. In the fourth, Meike Lanckohr tallied back-to-back goals off penalty corners to set a new career high, making it a one-possession game with 10 minutes remaining.
Elisha Evans assisted on the trio of Wake Forest goals, setting a new career best while becoming the first player to do so since Eleanor Winants dished out a hat trick of assists in a 3-0 spring-opening victory against Boston College on March 6.
Additionally, Grace Delmotte produced a pair of assists while Nat Friedman was credited with the first assist of her junior campaign.
On Sunday against the Wolverines, the Deacs played a tough, physical defensive battle as Wake Forest's stifling defense held Michigan to just four shots on goal, the lowest mark since the Deacs' first-round matchup in the 2020 ACC Championships against Virginia on Nov. 5.
Michigan capitalized on their corner opportunities, scoring the match's only goals immediately after penalty corners.
Sophomore Tori Glaister made her second-straight start in the goal, notching a save in both the first and third periods in a full 60:00 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 on Aug. 24.
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
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March 16, 2021: 13
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March 23, 2021: 11
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March 30, 2021: 10
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April 6, 2021: 9
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April 13, 2021: 9
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April 20, 2021:11
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April 28, 2021: 10
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Preseason 2021: 11
The second poll is slated to be released on Sept. 7.
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.
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Melissa Gonzalez- Fourth year on staff
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Jackie Kintzer Briggs- Second year on staff
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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
The Deacs now head into a pair of ranked-battles at Kentner Stadium, beginning with No. 22 Ohio State on Sept. 10 at 5:00 p.m. Wake Forest will complete the homestand two days later versus No. 24 James Madison on Sept. 12 at 12:00 p.m., which will be broadcasted live on ACC Network.
Wake Forest then travels to Durham for their first conference contest of the season against No. 12 Duke on Sept. 17 at 4:00 p.m.
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