No. 3 Wake Forest Concluding Regular Season at Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY. – The No. 3 ranked Wake Forest men's soccer team will look to claim its fifth ACC Atlantic Division title in nine seasons on Friday night when the Demon Deacons face Louisville at the Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.

Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

The Matchup

Wake Forest and Louisville will meet in the 2023 regular season finale for both programs, as a win by the Demon Deacons would secure a fifth Atlantic Division title in nine seasons and the first since the 2018 season.
Through the first seven ACC matchdays of the 2023 campaign, Wake Forest is 4-1-2 with victories over Clemson, Boston College, NC State and then-No. 14 North Carolina along with draws against then-No. 7 Syracuse and current No. 5 Notre Dame.
Wake Forest has won its last three matches away from Spry Stadium while Louisville is 6-1-1 on home turf this fall including ranked victories over then-No. 16 Tulsa on Aug. 24 and then-No. 19 Kentucky on Sept. 5.
While Wake Forest will seek to lock up the division title on Friday night, Louisville is looking to secure a home first round match to begin next week's ACC Tournament.
Wake Forest and Louisville will meet for the 17th time in their respective histories, as the Demon Deacons hold a 12-4-0 advantage over the Cardinals.
The Deacs will be in search of their first win at Louisville since a 3-1 victory in the season opener of the 2020-21 season.
This will also mark the third time in the last five years Wake Forest will close out the regular season against Louisville.

Last Time Out

In a highly contested top-10 battle between the ACC's Atlantic and Coastal leaders, No. 3 Wake Forest and current No. 5 Notre Dame played to a 1-1 draw last Friday.
After scoreless action in the first half, the Demon Deacons and Fighting Irish exchanged goals in the final 11 minutes of action. In the 79th minute, Leo Guarino netted his fourth goals of the season off of assists from Jahlane Forbes and Babacar Niang before Notre Dame responded with a goal off a free kick in the 85th minute.
Due to a red card issued on Notre Dame's goal celebration, Wake Forest played the remaining five minutes of the match up a man but the team's four shots in the waning minutes of action did not result in a winner.
Wake Forest finished the night with advantages over Notre Dame in total shots (18-12), shots on goal (6 to 4), corner kicks (7 to 3) and possession (55 percent).

ACC Atlantic Division Title Up For Grabs

With a victory over Louisville on Friday night, Wake Forest would officially claim its fifth ACC Atlantic Division title in nine seasons under head coach Bobby Muuss.
The Demon Deacons won ACC divisional titles four-straight seasons from 2015-18 and also finished in first the one-time ACC South Region during the fall of the 2020-21 season.
A victory would also secure a top-two seed in the 2023 ACC Men's Soccer Tournament, which begins next Wednesday and concludes with the finals on Sunday, Nov. 12 in Cary, N.C.

On The Road Again

Including ACC victories at Boston College and NC State, Wake Forest is currently on a three-match winning streak in road matches.
The three-match road winning streak is tied for the second-longest nationally and is the only multi-match road winning streak of the ACC's 12 men's soccer programs.
Earlier this year Wake Forest also drew 0-0 at then-No. 20 Maryland, as the Terrapins are one of college soccer's premier programs with 22-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Scouting the Cardinals

Louisville is one of just five ACC sides to average two or more goals per match this season, as the Cardinals have scored 30 goals this season from nine different goal scorers.
Damien Barker John has come on strong for the Cardinals recently, scoring a team-high nine goals including five in his last six appearances. The Queen, N.Y., native has scored Louisville's last three game-winning goals as well.
Three different Cardinals have recorded at least four assists on the season, led by David Boccuzzo's five assists.
After redshirting in 2022, Alex Svetanoff has played every minute in goal this season for the Cardinals, recording 56 saves with six shutouts.

Looking Ahead

Wake Forest will begin postseason play next Sunday at Spry Stadium, hosting an ACC Tournament quarterfinals match at either 2, 4, 6 or 8 p.m., as the Demon Deacons have already earned a first round bye. The Deacs will know their opponent following Wednesday's first round action.
All quarterfinals action will be televised on the ACC Network.

No. 3 Wake Forest Concluding Regular Season at Louisville

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Players Mentioned

Jahlane Forbes

Leo Guarino

Babacar Niang

Wake Forest Athletics

No. 3 Wake Forest Concluding Regular Season at Louisville

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jahlane Forbes

Leo Guarino

Babacar Niang

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