Demon Deacons Earn Draw in Tough Road Test at Rutgers
8/18/2024 4:11:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Junior Caiya Hanks bagged an 67th-minute equalizer for her first goal of the season.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – After falling behind with a minute to go in the first half, the Wake Forest women's soccer team battled back to earn a hard-fought, 1-1 draw against Rutgers Sunday afternoon at Yurcak Field.
The Demon Deacons (1-0-1) equalized in the 67th minute, as redshirt freshman Sierra Sythe played a perfect ball into the box for junior Hannah Johnson, who then headed it on into the path of fellow junior Caiya Hanks to tap it in from close range.
It marked Hanks' eighth-career goal after leading the team with six last campaign. Additionally, she now has 23 career points. Sythe and Johnson both picked up their first career assists on the goal.
Wake Forest outshot Rutgers, 13-to-6, throughout the match and also won eight corners to just two conceded. For the second-consecutive match to open the season, the Deacs also held a larger share of the possession with 61 percent.
Freshman Amaya Dawkins made her first-career appearance for the Deacs in the 32nd minute when she came on for Nikayla Small. The Texas-native logged 24 minutes and fired two shots in her collegiate debut.
Senior center backs Laurel Ansbrow and Zara Chavoshi went the full 90 and defended well throughout the contest. Fellow senior Kristin Johnson made her season debut coming out of the halftime break and put in 29 minutes of work.
The Demon Deacons remain unbeaten against Rutgers all-time with two wins and a draw dating back to 1995.
How It Happened
"It was a tough early-season game against a strong Rutgers team. We performed well, created chances and defended well. This game was a challenge for us and we did a great job adjusting at halftime to tie the game. We had our opportunities to win the game and were strong down the stretch. I'm proud of the group, our future is bright."
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will now return to Winston-Salem for the home opener against Temple on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.
Follow The Deacs
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | #GoDeacs
The Demon Deacons (1-0-1) equalized in the 67th minute, as redshirt freshman Sierra Sythe played a perfect ball into the box for junior Hannah Johnson, who then headed it on into the path of fellow junior Caiya Hanks to tap it in from close range.
It marked Hanks' eighth-career goal after leading the team with six last campaign. Additionally, she now has 23 career points. Sythe and Johnson both picked up their first career assists on the goal.
Wake Forest outshot Rutgers, 13-to-6, throughout the match and also won eight corners to just two conceded. For the second-consecutive match to open the season, the Deacs also held a larger share of the possession with 61 percent.
Freshman Amaya Dawkins made her first-career appearance for the Deacs in the 32nd minute when she came on for Nikayla Small. The Texas-native logged 24 minutes and fired two shots in her collegiate debut.
Senior center backs Laurel Ansbrow and Zara Chavoshi went the full 90 and defended well throughout the contest. Fellow senior Kristin Johnson made her season debut coming out of the halftime break and put in 29 minutes of work.
The Demon Deacons remain unbeaten against Rutgers all-time with two wins and a draw dating back to 1995.
How It Happened
- Emily Colton took the first shot of the match in the fourth minute after she beautifully progressed the ball through the midfield and found space.
- A few minutes later, Emily Murphy found space on the edge of the box and fired an attempt just over the bar.
- The Demon Deacons earned their first corner of the contest a few minutes later following great pressure from Caiya Hanks as she picked it off of the opponent in the final third.
- In the ninth minute, Zara Chavoshi made a great last-ditch tackle on the edge of the box and helped keep the game scoreless.
- As team teams paused play for a water break in the 23rd minute, Wake Forest had taken three shots and limited the hosts to zero.
- Anna Swanson subbed on for Alex Wood during the break.
- Goalkeeper Payton Cahill was called into action for the first time shortly after the resumption of play, as she easily handled a low-driven shot to the center of the goal.
- Chavoshi had a few more moments of brilliant one-on-one defending in and around the box over the next few minutes as the match remained deadlocked.
- The Demon Deacons made two more changes in the 30th minute.
- Match one goalscorer Hannah Johnson entered for Emily Murphy.
- Abbie Colton joined her sister in the midfield in place of Malika Meena.
- In the 32nd minute, freshman Amaya Dawkins made her highly-anticipated collegiate debut as she came on for Nikayla Small.
- Shortly after, Sierra Sythe replaced Caiya Hanks.
- Emily Colton nearly found the top corner in the 38th minute after a deflection, but the keeper tipped it behind for a corner.
- With 1:23 remaining in the first half, Rutgers took the lead with a goal from Reilly McGlinn.
- Wake Forest trailed, 1-0, heading into the break.
- The Demon Deacons held 58 percent of the ball during the first half and outshot the opponents 7-to-3 and won three corners to one.
- Kristin Johnson started the second half for her season debut as the Demon Deacons transitioned to three at the back.
- Wake Forest quickly earned a corner at the beginning of the half after Hanks drove down the wing and forced a defender to kick it behind.
- Cahill recorded her second save of the afternoon on a powerful shot near the edge of the box in the 50th minute.
- Wake Forest found the equalizer in the 67th minute, as a perfect ball from Sierra Sythe found Hannah Johnson, who then flicked it on to Caiya Hanks for her first goal of the season.
- It marked Hanks' eighth-career goal and now has 23 career point through 38 matches.
- Additionally, it was Johnson and Sythe's first-career assists.
- The Demon Deacons were on the front foot over the final 20 minutes and generated multiple chances as they pushed for the winner.
- Chavoshi had a free kick in a dangerous area with two minutes remaining, but missed just wide.
- The points were shared as the match ended, 1-1.
- Goalkeeper Payton Cahill made her 10th-career appearance and start.
- In those 10 games, she has only conceded multiple goals in a game once.
- Nikayla Small made her 40th-career appearance for Wake Forest.
- In the 32nd minute, freshman Amaya Dawkins made her collegiate debut when she came on for Nikayla Small.
- She finished her first outing in a Wake Forest uniform with 24 minutes played and record a pair of shots.
- Caiya Hanks notched her first goal of the 2024 campaign with the equalizer in the 67th minute. It was her eighth-career goal as she brought her career points tally to 23.
- In just her second collegiate game, Sierra Sythe was credited with her first-career assist on the goal.
- Additionally, Hannah Johnson also earned her first-career assist and now leads the team with three points this season following her goal in the opener.
"It was a tough early-season game against a strong Rutgers team. We performed well, created chances and defended well. This game was a challenge for us and we did a great job adjusting at halftime to tie the game. We had our opportunities to win the game and were strong down the stretch. I'm proud of the group, our future is bright."
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will now return to Winston-Salem for the home opener against Temple on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.
Follow The Deacs
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | #GoDeacs
Team Stats
WFU
RU
Goals
1
1
Shots
13
6
Shots on Goal
3
3
Saves
2
2
Corners
8
2
Fouls
12
10
Scoring Plays

Reilly McGlinn (1)
Assisted By: Allie Post
GOAL by RU McGlinn, Reilly Assist by Post, Allie.
43:37

Caiya Hanks (1)
Assisted By: Hannah Johnson , Sierra Sythe
GOAL by WFU Hanks, Caiya Assist by Johnson, Hannah and Sythe, Sierra.
66:58
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Players
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