Wake Forest University
California
No. 18 Wake Forest Concludes Opening Weekend Hosting Cal
8/26/2023 12:19:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Demon Deacons will face the Golden Bears looking to secure a second win on the campaign.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 18 ranked Wake Forest men's soccer team will look to build on a season-opening 3-1 victory over Grand Canyon when the Demon Deacons host Cal on Sunday night at Spry Stadium.
Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Fan Information
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.
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment. The first 200 students at Sunday night's match will receive free burgers from Flat Land.
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.
Adult season tickets start as low as $70 for general admission and $50 for youth while reserved chairbacks are $130 for fans and $104 for Wake Forest University faculty and staff.
The quickest and most efficient way to order tickets and take advantage of these new seating experiences is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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 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.
The Matchup
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Wake Forest and Cal will meet for the fourth time in their respective histories and for the first time since Aug. 31, 2014. The Deacs have one victory over the Golden Bears, a 2-1 result on Sept. 24, 1993.
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The Deacs enter Sunday night's match ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Grand Canyon in the 2023 opener.
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Wake Forest's three goals came from three different goal scorers in Roald Mitchell, Babacar Niang and Sidney Paris.
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Hose Kijima, meanwhile, recorded assists on the goals from Mitchell and Niang, marking the second multi-assist performance of his career.
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Wake Forest allowed just one shot on goal in the contest.
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Cal opened up a North Carolina road trip securing a 1-1 draw against No. 10 UNC Greensboro on Thursday.
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Despite allowing a fourth-minute goal to the Spartans, the Golden Bears responded in the 22nd minute with a goal of their own from Nonso Adimabusa. Adimabusa and Wyatt Meyer were named to the 2022 All-Pac-12 second-team.
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Connor Lambe started in goal for Cal against UNCG, recording five saves against the 10th ranked Spartans.
Last Time Out
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Wake Forest began the season with a 3-1 victory over Grand Canyon following a 90-minute start time delay due to inclement weather in the Winston-Salem area.
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Although Wake Forest began the night with four shots in the first six minutes of action, it was Grand Canyon that would strike first in the 11th minute.
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The Deacs would have an immediate response, though, as Sidney Paris would place a ball to Hosei Kijima who's perfectly placed one-touch pass found Roald Mitchell for a Wake Forest goal just 71 second after the Lopes' strike.
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The lead would double for Wake Forest at the 27-minute mark, as a flurry of activity in front of Grand Canyon's keeper ended with Babacar Niang's first goal of the season.
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After Camilo Ponce was fouled inside the 18 in the 76th minute, Sidney Paris stepped up to the spot and converted a Deacon penalty kick to cap off the night's scoring.
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Wake Forest finished the opener with significant advantages in shots (23-5), shots on goal (8-1) and possession (62 percent).
Making Spry The Toughest Environment To Play In
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Including Thursday night's victory over Grand Canyon, Wake Forest's record at Spry Stadium since 2015 is 95-16-6 as the Demon Deacons continually make it difficult for opposing teams to be comfortable while in Winston-Salem.
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The 95 home victories over the last nine seasons are 20 more than any other NCAA Division I program (Indiana, 75) and 24 more than any other ACC school (Clemson, 71).
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Wake Forest has recorded 11-straight regular season home victories against non-conference foes since a 4-0 result against William & Mary on Oct. 5, 2021. During that 11-match streak, the Deacs have outscored opponents 38-6.
Scouting the Golden Bears
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The Golden Bears will be playing their second ranked opponent in as many matches in Sunday night's Spry showdown.
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Nonso Adimabusa and Wyatt Meyer were named to the 2022 All-Pac-12 second-team. Adimabusa, who scored Cal's goal against UNCG, recorded five points off two goals and an assist last year while Meyer has played in 41 matches over his Cal career and started each of his last 32 appearances.
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Under head coach Leonard Griffin, the Golden Bears last season scored victories over California Baptist, San Diego State and Saint Mary's while beginning the 2023 campaign drawing with No. 10 UNC Greensboro 1-1.
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Cal has made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances in its program history including three runs into the Elite Eight (2005, 2010 and 2013).
Looking Ahead
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The Demon Deacons will hit the road for the first time in 2023, facing No. 14 Maryland on Friday, Sept. 1 in a colossal matchup between two perennial powerhouses of college soccer. It will be the first regular season matchup between the programs since the 2013 season. In 2019, Wake Forest beat Maryland 3-0 in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.
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Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the match will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus.
