Wake Forest Set to Open 2023 Campaign Thursday Against App State
8/16/2023 11:13:00 AM | Women's Soccer
The Demon Deacons are in search of their sixth-consecutive, season-opening victory over a non-ACC opponent. Additionally, the Deacs are looking to remain unbeaten against App State all-time.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Seeking the program's 23rd all-time NCAA Tournament appearance this season, the Wake Forest women's soccer team will face its first test of the 2023 campaign when the Demon Deacons host in-state foe App State Thursday evening at Spry Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and the match can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Need to Know - Game 1
Wake Forest (0-0) vs. App State (0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 - 7 PM - ACCNX
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Spry Stadium
Fan Information
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment.
Parking is encouraged in lots A, B, Q, W1 & W2. A complete parking map of campus is here. Gates open one hour prior to kickoff for all home matches.
Thursday, attendees will be able to enter a raffle to win two free tickets to Opening Night for Wake Forest Football at Allegacy Stadium on August 31.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here (http://deacs.info/3qxcWDX) for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at pantagw@wfu.edu.
Ticket Information
2023 Wake Forest soccer season tickets are on sale now, giving fans the opportunity to witness The Best Fan Experience In North Carolina from a number of unique seating options.
Season tickets start as low as $55 for general admission and $40 for youth, while reserved chair backs are $90 for fans and $73 for Wake Forest University faculty and staff.
To order, visit godeacs.com/tickets or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322.
Deacs vs. Mountaineers
Returning Production
The Deacs return 30 players from a season ago, including 14 who made 10 or more appearances and six who made 10 or more starts. Additionally, the Demon Deacons return five players (Liv Stowell, Caiya Hanks, Kristin Johnson, Laurel Ansbrow and Carly Wilson) who competed in all 19 matches last season.
Offensively, Wake Forest returns 85.1 percent (24-of-27) of its goal production from a season ago and 11 of its top 12 goal scorers. Additionally, returning players accounted for 92 percent of the Demon Deacons' assists from last season.
Individually, returning for the Deacs is 2021 All-ACC Freshman Team selection Nikayla Small. In her last season competing, Small played in 20 games, making 19 starts for the 2021 team that went on to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Key Players to Watch
New Faces
Highlighted by the addition of North Carolina transfer Emily Murphy, Wake Forest adds six newcomers to the program entering the 2023 season.
'Murph' by the Numbers
With five incoming freshman - goalkeeper Valentina Amaral (Florida Kraze/Krush – No. 19), forward Sierra Sythe (Beach FC – No. 75), midfielder Dempsey Brown (Orlando City), midfielder MJ Osborne (MVLA) and defender Sammi Wiemann (San Diego Surf) - the Demon Deacons' 2023 signing class ranks 29th nationally, according to TopDrawerSoccer.
Lockdown Defense
Led by returning defenders Laurel Ansbrow, Kristin Johnson and Zara Chavoshi, Wake Forest's defense led the ACC in goals allowed last season with 16.
Goals Allowed
Of note, the Demon Deacons tallied nine shutouts in 17 matches a season ago.
Wake Forest in Non-Con Play
Over the past two seasons, the Deacs are 15-1-2 in non-conference action. Additionally, Wake Forest is a stellar 75-8-3 all-time against non-conference in-state opponents.
App State Breakdown
Series History (Wake Forest vs. App State)
Home Field Advantage
The Demon Deacons have tallied 16 wins at Spry Stadium over the past two seasons, which ranks fifth in the ACC.
Home Record Over the Past Two Seasons
Of note, Wake Forest hasn't lost a home match against a non-conference foe since Sept. 5, 2019 when the Deacs dropped a thriller to No. 25 USF, 3-2.
ACC Preseason Poll
Wake Forest was picked to finish eighth in this season's ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, as the seven teams picked to finish in front of the Deacs are all ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 entering the 2023 season.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will return to action Sunday, Aug. 20 when the Deacs host Army at 12 p.m., as part of Alumni Weekend.
Follow The Deacs
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | #GoDeacs
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and the match can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Need to Know - Game 1
Wake Forest (0-0) vs. App State (0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 - 7 PM - ACCNX
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Spry Stadium
Fan Information
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment.
Parking is encouraged in lots A, B, Q, W1 & W2. A complete parking map of campus is here. Gates open one hour prior to kickoff for all home matches.
Thursday, attendees will be able to enter a raffle to win two free tickets to Opening Night for Wake Forest Football at Allegacy Stadium on August 31.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here (http://deacs.info/3qxcWDX) for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at pantagw@wfu.edu.
Ticket Information
2023 Wake Forest soccer season tickets are on sale now, giving fans the opportunity to witness The Best Fan Experience In North Carolina from a number of unique seating options.
Season tickets start as low as $55 for general admission and $40 for youth, while reserved chair backs are $90 for fans and $73 for Wake Forest University faculty and staff.
To order, visit godeacs.com/tickets or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322.
Deacs vs. Mountaineers
- Wake Forest has not lost a non-conference opener since 2016 and is currently on a five-match winning streak in non-conference season openers.
- Last season, the Deacs claimed a 2-0 home victory over Milwaukee.
- Head coach Tony da Luz is entering his 27th season at the helm of the Deacs and is coming off of a successful 2022 campaign which saw Wake Forest selected to the NCAA Tournament for the second-consecutive season after posting a 9-7-3 record.
- App State is 1-4-1 in its last six season openers with its lone win coming against UNC Asheville in 2021.
- Last season, the Mountaineers drew, 0-0, with Liberty at home.
- Second year head coach Aimee Haywood will be looking for the program's first winning season since 2016 after a successful first season in Boone, which saw the Mountaineers post a .500 winning percentage in conference play for the first time since 2018.
Returning Production
The Deacs return 30 players from a season ago, including 14 who made 10 or more appearances and six who made 10 or more starts. Additionally, the Demon Deacons return five players (Liv Stowell, Caiya Hanks, Kristin Johnson, Laurel Ansbrow and Carly Wilson) who competed in all 19 matches last season.
Offensively, Wake Forest returns 85.1 percent (24-of-27) of its goal production from a season ago and 11 of its top 12 goal scorers. Additionally, returning players accounted for 92 percent of the Demon Deacons' assists from last season.
Individually, returning for the Deacs is 2021 All-ACC Freshman Team selection Nikayla Small. In her last season competing, Small played in 20 games, making 19 starts for the 2021 team that went on to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Key Players to Watch
- Laurel Ansbrow
- Played in all 19 matches, while starting in 17 a season ago.
- Led all outfield players in minutes with 1,579.
- Anchored the Demon Deacon backline to nine clean sheets.
- Liv Stowell
- Started in all 19 matches last season, while leading the team in points with 14.
- Tied for the team lead in goals (5) and assists (4) a season ago.
- Led all forwards with 1,393 minutes of action.
- Emily Morris
- Started in 18 matches last season, while tallying four goals and an assist from the midfield.
- Scored three game-winning goals against High Point, Clemson and Syracuse last year.
- Led all midfielders with 1,379 minutes played, while logging 34 shots and 17 shots on goal.
- Caiya Hanks
- Earned ACC All-Freshman honors last season after starting in all 19 matches.
- Finished the season with three assists in 1,351 minutes of action
- Logged a team-high 41 shots.
- Scored her first career goal and assisted another in the 7-0 victory at High Point last year.
New Faces
Highlighted by the addition of North Carolina transfer Emily Murphy, Wake Forest adds six newcomers to the program entering the 2023 season.
'Murph' by the Numbers
| Season | GP-GS | Min. | G | A | Pts | Shot | Shot % | SOG | SOG% | GW |
| 2021 | 15-14 | 849:01 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 36 | .139 | 18 | .500 | 0 |
| 2022 | 24-3 | 623:15 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 16 | .313 | 11 | .688 | 1 |
| Total | 39-17 | 1472:15 | 10 | 10 | 30 | 52 | .192 | 29 | .558 | 1 |
With five incoming freshman - goalkeeper Valentina Amaral (Florida Kraze/Krush – No. 19), forward Sierra Sythe (Beach FC – No. 75), midfielder Dempsey Brown (Orlando City), midfielder MJ Osborne (MVLA) and defender Sammi Wiemann (San Diego Surf) - the Demon Deacons' 2023 signing class ranks 29th nationally, according to TopDrawerSoccer.
Lockdown Defense
Led by returning defenders Laurel Ansbrow, Kristin Johnson and Zara Chavoshi, Wake Forest's defense led the ACC in goals allowed last season with 16.
Goals Allowed
| Rank | Team | Goals Allowed |
| 1. | Wake Forest | 16 |
| Notre Dame | 16 | |
| 3. | Virginia | 17 |
| 4. | Clemson | 19 |
| 5. | North Carolina | 20 |
| Florida State | 20 | |
| 7. | Pitt | 21 |
| 8. | Louisville | 22 |
| Miami | 22 | |
| 10. | Duke | 23 |
| 11. | Syracuse | 24 |
| 12. | Virginia Tech | 28 |
| 13. | Boston College | 30 |
| 14. | NC State | 31 |
Of note, the Demon Deacons tallied nine shutouts in 17 matches a season ago.
Wake Forest in Non-Con Play
Over the past two seasons, the Deacs are 15-1-2 in non-conference action. Additionally, Wake Forest is a stellar 75-8-3 all-time against non-conference in-state opponents.
App State Breakdown
- App State was picked to finish eighth in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll after a seventh-place finish last season.
- App State finished the season with a 6-9-4 record, including a 5-5 Sun Belt record (15 points).
- The Mountaineers lost in the first round of the conference tournament, 2-1, in overtime to 10th-seeded Marshall.
- Goalkeeper Kerry Eagleston will be a key piece for the Mountaineers this season, as the graduate student is returning for her fifth season in Boone.
- She ranks third in program history in saves (352) and shutouts (18) across 73 career starts.
- Last season, she led the Sun Belt in saves (93) and finished third in save percentage (.809).
- Additionally, her six shutouts ranked fifth in the conference.
- She ranks third in program history in saves (352) and shutouts (18) across 73 career starts.
- Senior Izzi Wood led the team in goals (six) and points (12) last season in 19 matches played.
- She bagged her first career brace in a 2-2 draw with Radford.
- The Mountaineers' main creator last season, Breckyn Monteith, will also be returning for her senior campaign after notching three assists in 2022.
- In 2022, App State ranked 244th in the nation (11th in the Sun Belt) in total goals (11) and last in the conference in goals per game (0.89).
Series History (Wake Forest vs. App State)
- Thursday will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams.
- Wake Forest holds a 4-0 record against the Mountaineers, including a 2-0 mark at home.
- The Deacs have not conceded a goal in the series while scoring nine of their own.
- The last meeting was a 2-0 Wake Forest victory in Boone on Sept. 5, 2021.
- Malaika Meena opened the scoring in the 10th minute with her second-career goal and most recent tally to date.
- The last time the two teams met in Winston-Salem was also a 2-0 victory for the Deacs on Aug. 25, 2019.
Home Field Advantage
The Demon Deacons have tallied 16 wins at Spry Stadium over the past two seasons, which ranks fifth in the ACC.
Home Record Over the Past Two Seasons
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1. | Florida State | 21-1-2 |
| Notre Dame | 21-3-3 | |
| Duke | 21-6 | |
| 4. | Virgina | 19-4-2 |
| 5. | Wake Forest | 16-4-1 |
| North Carolina | 16-4-3 | |
| 7. | Pitt | 14-5-1 |
| 8. | Clemson | 12-4-3 |
| Virginia Tech | 12-4-3 | |
| 10. | Syracuse | 9-9-3 |
| 11. | NC State | 8-8-3 |
| 12. | Louisville | 7-9-2 |
| Boston College | 7-9-3 | |
| Miami | 7-10-1 |
Of note, Wake Forest hasn't lost a home match against a non-conference foe since Sept. 5, 2019 when the Deacs dropped a thriller to No. 25 USF, 3-2.
ACC Preseason Poll
Wake Forest was picked to finish eighth in this season's ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, as the seven teams picked to finish in front of the Deacs are all ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 entering the 2023 season.
- North Carolina (10) 166
- Florida State (2) 146
- Virginia (1) 139
- Notre Dame 134
- Duke (1) 126
- Clemson 104
- Pitt 103
- Wake Forest 87
- Virginia Tech 81
- NC State 62
- Louisville 47
- Syracuse 35
- Miami 24
- Boston College 20
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will return to action Sunday, Aug. 20 when the Deacs host Army at 12 p.m., as part of Alumni Weekend.
Follow The Deacs
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | #GoDeacs
Players Mentioned
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