Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Menta Mentality
1/26/2022 12:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
In Jenna Menta’s one season as a Demon Deacon she scored six goals last season, adding seven assists for a total of 19 points. Her seven assists is seventh-most in a season in Wake Forest program history.
Jenna Menta fended off a pair of Florida State defenders and got a timely pass off the Sophia Rossi, who firmly stuck the ball into the back of the net to give Wake Forest Women's Soccer a 1-0 late-first half lead over the Noles in the ACC Tournament semifinals — the Deacs deepest run in the conference tournament since 2012.
The Noles struck back before the half ended and then outlasted the Deacs, but it took overtime to get it done. Florida State won its next seven games, claiming both the ACC Tournament and the National Championship.
"Being able to have success in the ACC Tournament was really rewarding," Menta said. "To look back and realize they (Florida State) won the national championship, to know we scored first and played a pretty even game with them is quite an accomplishment. We had our chances, but were a little unlucky to not finish."
Menta transferred to Wake Forest from Georgetown, where she played in 76 games, contributing 38 points on 10 goals and 18 assists.
"School has always been a top priority for me, and Wake Forest is one of the top universities in the country," Menta said about her decision to become a Demon Deacon. "I knew academically it would be a good fit. I only had one year of eligibility, so I knew I wanted to do a one-year program. Usually grad school is longer. I also wanted to do business. I studied international politics as an undergrad and wanted to do business for my graduate. I found this one-year program for people who hadn't studied business, so it was perfect for me."
"I went to campus and visited. I loved it. It was different than DC, but I wanted a change. It was a great decision and I'm really happy I went to Wake."
It was an incredible 2021 season for Wake Forest Women's Soccer, which finished 16-6 after a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan.
"It was a great season," Menta said. "Having only one year at a school can be kind of daunting, because it's make or break. You have just one year and that's it. I came in wanting to have fun and make the most of my year."
"I knew the team was going to be really good and we had a lot of talented players returning along with a lot of talented freshmen coming in. So I was really excited. But I wasn't completely sure what to expect personally being in the ACC, which is probably the most challenging conference in the country. I couldn't be more proud of what the team accomplished. Honestly, I think the season exceeded all the expectations I had. The team was awesome to be around and I loved competing in the ACC. It was a great season."
Awarded an extra season by the NCAA because of the Covid-impacted 2020 season, Menta made the transition from Georgetown to Wake Forest to close out her eligibility.
"It was a challenging adjustment, just being on a new team and being at a new school," she said. "Coming in as a freshman is a little different, because you have no experience, so it's easier to adjust.
"Coming in after having a different team and different coach, learning a new coaching style and new team is challenging. In the beginning I was navigating that. Also, being in graduate school, it was a challenging curriculum. I went through some growing pains, finding my way and adjusting. I had to grow. I was prepared for the challenge and the season ended better than I could have imagined. It was difficult, but with the help of my teammates and coaches, it ended up being a great season."
Adjusting to head coach Tony da Luz was a breeze for Menta, with his affable approach and technical acumen.
"Tony is a great guy and a great coach," she said. "He's knowledgeable and knows what he's talking about. He obviously has a lot of experience playing and coaching. Playing under him was a great experience. He definitely knew what my strengths were and he brought me in for a particular purpose and keyed in on that. He didn't want to change me and make me into a player I wasn't."
"He obviously coached me and helped me play to my strengths, so I'm appreciative of that. It was a great experience. If he didn't take a chance on me to bring me to Wake, I'm not sure where I'd be right now."
Menta scored six goals last season, adding seven assists for a total of 19 points. Her seven assists is seventh-most in a season in Wake Forest program history. An early-season home loss to No. 7 Virginia helped Menta realize she was capable of making an impact against ACC competition.
"We lost 1-0, but it was a close game where we could have scored just as easily as them," she said. "I felt like I performed really well and was a threat. It made me think that if I could perform that way against Virginia, I could perform that way against any team in the ACC. They are always one of the best. To compete against them and be an offensive threat made me reflect that I really did belong in the ACC."
Menta was selected with the overall 30th pick of the 2021 NWSL Draft by Louisville Racing and is set to graduate from Wake Forest with her graduate degree in May.
The Noles struck back before the half ended and then outlasted the Deacs, but it took overtime to get it done. Florida State won its next seven games, claiming both the ACC Tournament and the National Championship.
"Being able to have success in the ACC Tournament was really rewarding," Menta said. "To look back and realize they (Florida State) won the national championship, to know we scored first and played a pretty even game with them is quite an accomplishment. We had our chances, but were a little unlucky to not finish."
Menta transferred to Wake Forest from Georgetown, where she played in 76 games, contributing 38 points on 10 goals and 18 assists.
"School has always been a top priority for me, and Wake Forest is one of the top universities in the country," Menta said about her decision to become a Demon Deacon. "I knew academically it would be a good fit. I only had one year of eligibility, so I knew I wanted to do a one-year program. Usually grad school is longer. I also wanted to do business. I studied international politics as an undergrad and wanted to do business for my graduate. I found this one-year program for people who hadn't studied business, so it was perfect for me."
"I went to campus and visited. I loved it. It was different than DC, but I wanted a change. It was a great decision and I'm really happy I went to Wake."
It was an incredible 2021 season for Wake Forest Women's Soccer, which finished 16-6 after a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan.
"It was a great season," Menta said. "Having only one year at a school can be kind of daunting, because it's make or break. You have just one year and that's it. I came in wanting to have fun and make the most of my year."
"I knew the team was going to be really good and we had a lot of talented players returning along with a lot of talented freshmen coming in. So I was really excited. But I wasn't completely sure what to expect personally being in the ACC, which is probably the most challenging conference in the country. I couldn't be more proud of what the team accomplished. Honestly, I think the season exceeded all the expectations I had. The team was awesome to be around and I loved competing in the ACC. It was a great season."
Awarded an extra season by the NCAA because of the Covid-impacted 2020 season, Menta made the transition from Georgetown to Wake Forest to close out her eligibility.
"It was a challenging adjustment, just being on a new team and being at a new school," she said. "Coming in as a freshman is a little different, because you have no experience, so it's easier to adjust.
"Coming in after having a different team and different coach, learning a new coaching style and new team is challenging. In the beginning I was navigating that. Also, being in graduate school, it was a challenging curriculum. I went through some growing pains, finding my way and adjusting. I had to grow. I was prepared for the challenge and the season ended better than I could have imagined. It was difficult, but with the help of my teammates and coaches, it ended up being a great season."
Adjusting to head coach Tony da Luz was a breeze for Menta, with his affable approach and technical acumen.
"Tony is a great guy and a great coach," she said. "He's knowledgeable and knows what he's talking about. He obviously has a lot of experience playing and coaching. Playing under him was a great experience. He definitely knew what my strengths were and he brought me in for a particular purpose and keyed in on that. He didn't want to change me and make me into a player I wasn't."
"He obviously coached me and helped me play to my strengths, so I'm appreciative of that. It was a great experience. If he didn't take a chance on me to bring me to Wake, I'm not sure where I'd be right now."
Menta scored six goals last season, adding seven assists for a total of 19 points. Her seven assists is seventh-most in a season in Wake Forest program history. An early-season home loss to No. 7 Virginia helped Menta realize she was capable of making an impact against ACC competition.
"We lost 1-0, but it was a close game where we could have scored just as easily as them," she said. "I felt like I performed really well and was a threat. It made me think that if I could perform that way against Virginia, I could perform that way against any team in the ACC. They are always one of the best. To compete against them and be an offensive threat made me reflect that I really did belong in the ACC."
Menta was selected with the overall 30th pick of the 2021 NWSL Draft by Louisville Racing and is set to graduate from Wake Forest with her graduate degree in May.
Players Mentioned
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