Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Bryce Mitchell / Wake Forest Athletics
Amaral Earns ACC Defensive Player of the Week Honors
8/19/2025 1:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Oviedo, Fla., native posted back-to-back shutouts during the Deacs’ opening slate of matches.
CHARLOTTE – After recording back-to-back shutouts in the opening weekend of the 2025 campaign, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Amaral of the Wake Forest women's soccer team has been named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
With the nod, Amaral becomes the first Demon Deacon to be tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week since Laurel Ansbrow on Oct. 2, 2023.
The 2024 All-ACC selection kicked off her third season as a Deac with a clean sheet against SMU and recorded one save. Amaral followed up the opening night victory with another shutout performance against the LSU Tigers, where she faced eight shots and made three saves.
Wake Forest is just one of two schools in the conference to record clean sheets through their first two matches.
Valentina Amaral
Up Next
Wake Forest returns to Spry to face Villanova on Thursday, Aug. 21 with kickoff at 5 p.m. and the contest streamed on ACC Network Extra.
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With the nod, Amaral becomes the first Demon Deacon to be tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week since Laurel Ansbrow on Oct. 2, 2023.
The 2024 All-ACC selection kicked off her third season as a Deac with a clean sheet against SMU and recorded one save. Amaral followed up the opening night victory with another shutout performance against the LSU Tigers, where she faced eight shots and made three saves.
Wake Forest is just one of two schools in the conference to record clean sheets through their first two matches.
Valentina Amaral
- Starting keeper for the 2024 College Cup National Finalist Team
- Called up to the U.S. U20 Women's National Team training camp in June
- Finished the 2024 season with the best goals-against average in program history at 0.69
- Allowed the fewest number of goals in conference play with seven
- Totaled five shutouts in ACC play, second most in the conference
- Recorded back-to-back clean sheet victories against No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Virginia
- Played a vital role during the team's 2024 postseason run, logging three shutouts and holding strong during the penalty shootout that would send the Deacs to the 2024 College Cup finals.
- As a freshman, did not allow a goal all season and the team was a perfect 3-0 in games she appeared in
- Recorded a shutout in her collegiate debut
Up Next
Wake Forest returns to Spry to face Villanova on Thursday, Aug. 21 with kickoff at 5 p.m. and the contest streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | #GoDeacs
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
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