No. 23 Demon Deacons Strike Twice Late to Secure 3-1 Win Over UNC Asheville

Tuesday, October 13

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

9-3-1, 4-2-0

UNC Asheville

9-3-1, 3-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
UNC Asheville	0	1	1
Wake Forest	1	2	3

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No. 23 Demon Deacons Strike Twice Late to Secure 3-1 Win Over UNC Asheville

10/13/2026 11:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Mason Sullivan and Nolan Tinsley scored within 20 seconds of each other in the 87th minute to seal the victory.

By: Dylan Shackelford

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 23 Wake Forest men's soccer team scored twice in a 20-second span late in the second half to pull away from UNC Asheville, earning a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night at Spry Stadium.

Tate Lorentz opened the scoring in the first half before Mason Sullivan and Nolan Tinsley found the back of the net in the final five minutes to secure the Demon Deacons' ninth victory of the season.

The victory improved Wake Forest to 9-3-1 overall and 6-1-1 at home, with the Deacs winning seven of their last nine matches. Wake Forest also extended its perfect all-time record against UNC Asheville to 10-0-0, outscoring the Bulldogs by a combined 48-4 across the series.

Wake Forest controlled much of the play, finishing with a 19-to-10 advantage in shots and an 8-to-4 edge in shots on goal. The Deacs created consistent opportunities throughout the evening, registering 14 shots in the second half alone, while goalkeeper Owen Barnett made three saves to help secure his fourth win of the season.

The Deacs opened the scoring with a well-worked attacking sequence down the left side. Ronnie Garcia played the ball forward to Alfred Debah, who drove into the penalty area before squaring a pass across the face of goal. Lorentz arrived at the back post to finish the opportunity and give the Demon Deacons the early lead.

The goal marked Lorentz's team-leading fourth of the season and the 10th of his career, bringing his career total to 28 points, the most among active Demon Deacons. Garcia recorded his fourth assist of the campaign, while Debah picked up his first of two assists on the night in his second-career start and first of the season.

After UNC Asheville leveled the match in the second half, Sullivan put Wake Forest back in front with a powerful strike following a short free-kick combination with White before firing his shot past the keeper to restore the Demon Deacons' advantage.

The goal was Sullivan's third of the season, tying him for second on the team, and gave him eight points on the year and 10 for his career. White was credited with the assist, his fourth of the season.

Just 20 seconds after Sullivan's go-ahead goal, Wake Forest struck again to extend its lead. Debah played an excellent long ball into the path of Mitchell, who carried the attack forward on the break before playing the ball to Tinsley in space inside the penalty area. Tinsley calmly slotted his finish into the bottom-left corner to cap the scoring and seal the 3-1 victory.

The goal was Tinsley's second of his career, adding to his two assists for six points in just seven appearances, all coming off the bench. Mitchell recorded his fourth assist of the season, tying him with White and Garcia for the team lead.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wake Forest opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Ronnie Garcia played the ball to Debah on the left wing. Debah drove into the box before squaring a pass across to Lorentz, who finished at the back post to give the Deacs an early advantage.
- The goal marked Lorentz's team-leading fourth of the season and the 10th of his career, bringing his career total to 28 points.
Barnett kept the Demon Deacons in front in the 40th minute with a key save following a corner kick.
- After the ball rolled out to a UNC Asheville player at the edge of the box, the Bulldog unleashed a hard shot toward Barnett's left, but the Wake Forest goalkeeper got down to make the stop.
Wake Forest took a 1-0 lead into the break having controlled much of the first half.
UNC Asheville equalized in the 68th minute when Tyler Ware scored off an assist from Ian Smith and Kayoum Mbamba.
Sullivan restored the Wake Forest lead in the 87th minute with a powerful strike following a short free-kick combination.
Just 20 seconds later, Wake Forest struck again to put the match away. Debah played a long ball into the path of Pariss Mitchell on the break, and Mitchell found Tinsley in space inside the box.
- Tinsley slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to cap the scoring and secure the 3-1 victory.

NOTES

Wake Forest entered Tuesday ranked No. 23 in the country and improved to 9-3-1 with the victory.
- The Deacs have now won seven of their last nine matches and six games at Spry Stadium this season.
Lorentz's goal was his team-leading fourth of the season and the 10th of his career. He now has 11 points on the year and 28 career points, the most among active Demon Deacons.
Garcia recorded his fourth assist of the season on Lorentz's opener, tying White and Mitchell for the team lead.
- He now has six points this season and made his 30th collegiate appearance.
In his second career start and first of the season, Debah recorded two assists, contributing to three goals over the last two matches after scoring at Boston College on Friday.
Sullivan's goal was his third of the season, tying him for second on the team.
- He now has eight points this season and 10 for his career.
Tinsley's goal was the second of his career. The freshman now has six points on two goals and two assists in seven appearances, all coming off the bench.
Mitchell recorded his fourth assist of the season on Tinsley's goal, tying him with White and Garcia for the team lead.
- Following his goal and assist at Boston College, Mitchell has contributed to three goals over the last two matches and has eight points on the season.
Barnett finished with three saves, including a key stop in the 40th minute.
White made his 70th career appearance, the most among active Demon Deacons.
- He recorded his fourth assist of the year on the Sullivan goal, bringing his season point total to 10.
Miles Hadley made his Wake Forest debut late in the second half.

FROM MUUSS
"We just beat a really good UNC Asheville team. They're really well-coached, disciplined and relentless on set pieces. We're disappointed that we conceded when we did, the way we did, off a simple turnover in the midfield when I thought we were in a good stretch and a good rhythm at that time. Those last 20 minutes, we played the game as if we were down a goal when it was 1-1, we went with a little bit more of an aggressive attacking group and they found a way.

I think it was a great goal for Mason. You love it as a coach when yesterday in training you do something and it worked and then today you do it again in the game and it works. So hats off to Mason, Tate and Jeffrey on that little play where they got together and they made it happen. Nolan at the end, he comes on and pushes to get the third. It's a really good team win. That's a good team, they're 9-2 for a reason.

We have a really top-level opponent in Syracuse coming here Saturday. We need the Wake Forest community, students and the Golden Army. I want to see this place packed to cheer on these Deacs in a really big Senior Day and our final ACC home game."

CONTINUING A NATIONAL STANDARD

Wake Forest continues to rank among the nation's most successful programs under head coach Bobby Muuss, who has guided the Demon Deacons since the start of the 2015 season.
Following Tuesday's victory, Wake Forest has earned 168 wins since the start of the 2015 season, tied for the most in NCAA Division I men's soccer.
The Deacs have also collected 123 home victories during that span, the most in the country and at least 11 more than any other Division I program.

Overall Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	Wins
T1	Wake Forest	168
T1	Indiana	168
3	Clemson	158
4	Georgetown	157
5	Stanford	148
6	Washington	144
7	Vermont	142

Home Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	Home Wins
1	Wake Forest	123
2	Indiana	112
3	Clemson	106
4	Georgetown	100
5	Virginia	99

NEXT UP
Wake Forest returns to Spry Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17, to host Syracuse in ACC play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with coverage available on ACCNX.