No. 12 Demon Deacons Wrap Road Slate in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Following its first-ranked victory of the season at No. 9 Duke, the No. 12-ranked Wake Forest women's soccer team (9-1-2, 3-0-1 ACC) will wrap their three-game road stretch against the NC State Wolfpack (2-6-4, 1-1-2 ACC) this Thursday, Oct. 2, at Dail Soccer Field.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACCN with live stats available here.

Need to Know - Game 13
No. 12 Wake Forest (9-1-2, 3-0-1 ACC) vs. NC State (2-6-4, 1-1-2 ACC)
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 - 7 PM - ACCN
Raleigh, N.C. – Dail Soccer Field

Quick Hitters

The Demon Deacons currently rank 12th on the United Soccer Coaches Poll and 12th on TopDrawerSoccer.
- As well, Wake Forest sits seventh in RPI, which is the fourth-highest ACC team.
Wake Forest enters the match 3-0-1 in ACC play and tied second in the conference with 10 points.
- Of note, this marks the Deacs' best conference record through four games since 2011. Additionally, the Deacs are one of only five teams that remain unbeaten in ACC play.
- A win this Thursday would match the best start to conference play in program history with the 2011 squad (13 points).
Through twelve games of the season, redshirt sophomore Sierra Sythe has totaled a team-high eight assists, which ranks second in the conference and tied fifth nationally.
Between the posts, redshirt sophomore Valentina Amaral ranks third in the conference in shutouts per game and is tied 13th in the country with six clean sheets so far this season.
The Demon Deacons last defeated the Wolfpack 1-0 in Raleigh on March 20, 2021, in double overtime. ProDeac Ryanne Brown scored the game-winner in the 108th minute to secure Wake Forest's victory.
Thursday's contest marks the first time the two head coaches will be meeting as Gary Higgins is in his first season leading the Pack.

Last Time Out (vs. Duke)

The No. 19-ranked Wake Forest women's soccer team remained unbeaten in ACC play and defeated the No. 9-ranked Duke Blue Devils Thursday night at Koskinen Stadium.
Wake Forest showed grit in the early moments of the match, recording the first shot on goal of the contest in the third minute.
- Freshman Kylie Maxwell launched a ball from outside the box, but the Duke keeper was there to make the save.
Redshirt-sophomore Valentina Amaral made her first save of the night in the fourth minute as she leaped high to shove the ball away from the net.
- The Oviedo, Fla.-native was called into action once again in the fifth and sixth minutes, but swiftly corralled the ball to record back-to-back saves.
The Demon Deacons broke through the Blue Devils' defense in the 21st minute.
- Senior Carly Wilson tapped the ball over to freshman Kylie Maxwell, who forced the Duke goalkeeper out and left Maxwell to find the back of the net for her fifth of the season.
- Seniors Alex Wood and Carly Wilson each snagged their first points of the year with assists on the strike.
Duke continued to pressure the Deacs into the later stages of the first half, but the Demon Deacon backline held firm.
- All four starters on the Wake Forest defense went the full 90.
Wake Forest entered the second half leading Duke 1–0.
The Blue Devils tested Amaral right out of the break with two consecutive free kicks.
Duke found the equalizer in the 48th minute.
Just a minute later, sophomore Chloe Burst responded with her first attempt on target of the night, but the Duke keeper kept the contest drawn.
The Blue Devil offense held pressure throughout the half and found its way to the back of the net in the 62nd minute; however, the goal was overturned after being found offside.
Duke took the lead in the 65th minute.
With contest square, Wake Forest looked to their seniors for an answer and in the 69th and 72nd minutes, the Deacs found it.
- Sythe set up a beautiful cross to Wood, who snuck the ball past the keeper to tie the contest back up.
- Just three minutes later, Sythe set up another beautiful sequence and found Maxwell on the opposite side of the zone and found the head of Johnson directly in front of the net to give Wake Forest the lead.
  - With the primary assist, Maxwell is now tied fifth in freshman single-season assists. Additionally, Sythe is now tied sixth among the program for most assists in a single season.
  - The Langhorne, Pa.-native also tied a career-high three points with her first-half strike and assist on Johnson's goal.
Duke called Amaral into action one final time in the 11th minute of the contest but the Deacs' keeper latched on for her fourth save of the night.
The Demon Deacons held on for the 3-2 victory over the Blue Devils.
Redshirt-sophomore Valentina Amaral made her 30th career start.
Redshirt-sophomore Sierra Sythe made her 30th career start.
Freshman Tahlia Zadeyan made her fifth career start.
Junior Dempsey Brown made her 40th career start
Sophomore Chloe Burst made her fifth career start.
Freshman Kylie Maxwell recorded her fifth career goal in the 21st minute.
- Maxwell tied a career-high with three points with a goal and an assist.
Seniors Carly Wilson and Alex Wood logged their first points of the season on Maxwell's strike.

To the Maxx

In just her first year with the Demon Deacons, freshman forward Kylie Maxwell has already shown veteran skill. The Langhorne, Pa.-native has totaled five goals, five assists, and a team high 15 points. With her assists during last Thursday's victory of the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils, the rookie is tied fifth in program history in single-season assists for a freshman. Additionally, Maxwell has started all twelve contests this season and saw a career-high 90 minutes in the 2-1 ACC victory over the Hokies. Her five strikes and 15 points lead the Demon Deacons and sits second behind defender Sierra Sythe in assists.

Defense on Lock

After seeing little action in the 2024 season, senior defender Laine DeNatale has been a standout feature on the Deacons' backline. So far this season, the Locust Valley, N.Y.-native has made starts in all twelve appearances, gone the full 90 in five of them, totaling 947 minutes. On her opposing shoulder, redshirt sophomore Sierra Sythe has also been a key factor in Wake Forest's defense. Beyond her defensive presence, Sythe has totaled eight assists on the season, of which she leads the team, ranks second in the conference and is tied fifth nationally.

Nothin' in Net

Tabbed to the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Goalkeepers to Watch List, redshirt sophomore Valentina Amaral has once again shown unbelievable skill in net for the Deacs. The Oviedo, Fla-native has totaled 39 saves and six clean sheets so far in the 2025 campaign, and reached her 20th career win in the 2-1 win against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Amaral ranks third in the conference with her six shutouts and is tied 13th in the country.

Sophomore Standout

Despite not making an appearance on the pitch as a freshman, sophomore midfielder Lola Ressler has made her way into the lineup every game this season and has made significant contributions in all. A versatile player, Ressler has started eight of 12 appearances, playing both in the midfield and front line for the Demon Deacons. The Winter Garden-Fla.-native scored a career-high two goals in the Deacs' first conference win of the season over Miami, and notched the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over the LSU Tigers during non-conference play.

Scouting the Wolfpack

Head coach Gary Higgins enters his first season at the helm of the Wolfpack, following three seasons as head coach at East Carolina.
NC State is 2-6-4 overall in 2025 with a 1-3-1 mark at home.
- The Pack are 1-1-2 in ACC play, highlighted by a draw against No. 7 Florida State.
- With the draw against the Seminoles, the Wolfpack are 0-2-1 against ranked opponents, after losses to No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 20 Michigan State.
Junior Jade Bordeleau tops the offensive charts for the Pack with six goals, 13 points and 14 SOGs.
- The forward saw a career-high four points and her second multi-goal game back at home against Western Carolina in August.
Tabbed with ACC Defensive Player of the Week, goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas stands between the posts for the Pack.
- So far this season, Pratapas has appeared and started in 10 games, totaling 30 saves and three clean sheets, including a 1-0 shutout against ACC opponent SMU.
NC State's roster features 11 international students and four freshmen.
- In her first year with the Wolfpack, freshman forward Daisy Duda has already cemented herself as a key member of the lineup. The Mountain Lakes, N.J.-native has appeared in all 12 games this season and made starts in 10. Additionally, Dudas has totaled four points so far this 2025 campaign and leads the team with four assists.
The Wolfpack are currently tied ninth in the ACC with five points and are on a two-game tie streak with draws against Virginia Tech and Florida State.

Series History vs. NC State

The Demon Deacons are 20-8-3 against the Wolfpack with a 9-5-1 mark on the road. The two programs met for the first time in Raleigh on Sept. 23, 1995, where the Deacs fell 1-5 to the Pack.
Wake Forest's last trip to Dail Soccer Field was on Sept.18, 2022, and resulted in a 1-2 loss for the Demon Deacons.
- The lone strike was scored by ProDeac Laurel Ansbrow in the 35th minute.

Up Next
The Demon Deacons return to Spry Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 9 for the first time in over a month to welcome the No. 23-ranked Louisville Cardinals. The contest will be streamed nationally on ACCNX with kickoff at 7 pm.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Valentina Amaral

Laurel Ansbrow

Dempsey Brown

Chloe Burst

Laine DeNatale

Kylie Maxwell

Lola Ressler

Sierra Sythe

Carly Wilson

Alex Wood

Tahlia Zadeyan

Wake Forest Athletics