No. 23 Demon Deacons Earn Clean Sheet Victory Over Syracuse on Senior and Graduates Day

Saturday, October 17

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

10-3-1, 5-2-0

Syracuse

7-6-1, 1-4-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Syracuse	0	0	0
Wake Forest	0	2	2

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No. 23 Demon Deacons Earn Clean Sheet Victory Over Syracuse on Senior and Graduates Day

10/17/2026 11:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Krueger and Debah scored in the second half as Barnett recorded his first career ACC clean sheet.

By: Dylan Shackelford

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 23 Wake Forest men's soccer team scored twice in the final 14 minutes to earn a 2-0 victory over Syracuse on Saturday night at Spry Stadium.

Senior defender Daniel Krueger and sophomore forward Alfred Debah found the back of the net in the second half to help the Demon Deacons secure their third-consecutive victory and improve to 10-3-1 overall and 5-2-0 in ACC play.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Krueger broke through in the 77th minute, as he got his head on a perfectly delivered ball from senior Tate Lorentz while diving toward goal.

It marked Krueger's first goal of the season and the third of his career, while Lorentz and Garcia were credited with their fourth and fifth assists of the season, respectively. The Winston-Salem native leads the team with 12 points on the year.

Debah added an insurance goal in the 85th minute, unleashing a right-footed strike from approximately 30 yards out into the top-left corner to put the match away.

It marked Debah's third goal of the season and fourth of his collegiate career, bringing his career points total to 11. The sophomore has now recorded at least one goal contribution in three consecutive matches, following his goal at Boston College and two assists against UNC Asheville.

Sophomore standout midfielder David Ndong Nguema recorded his second assist of the season on the strike, while Jeffrey White on his senior night added his fifth assist of the year and the 10th of his Wake Forest career.

Wake Forest controlled much of the contest, finishing with a 21-to-7 advantage in shots and an 11-to-2 edge in shots on goal. The Demon Deacons also held 58 percent of possession and limited the Orange to just one corner kick and generated six of their own.

Goalkeeper Owen Barnett made two saves to secure his first career ACC clean sheet and second overall, helping the Deacs extend their home record to 7-1-1 this season. In his six starts this season, Barnett has posted a 5-1-0 record with 16 saves and a 0.81 goals-against average.

The entire back line of Krueger, Travis Smith Jr., Mason Sullivan and Ronnie Garcia, along with midfielder Ndong Nguema, all played the full 90 minutes for the Demon Deacons.

The victory came on Senior and Graduates Day, as Wake Forest recognized eight seniors and graduates before kickoff in front of 2,296 fans at Spry Stadium. The win also strengthened the Demon Deacons' position in the ACC standings with one regular-season conference match remaining.

ACC STANDINGS UPDATE
With Saturday's victory, Wake Forest moved to 15 points in ACC play, remaining third in the conference standings behind SMU and Clemson. The Demon Deacons are level with Clemson on points but trail on goal differential, while sitting just one point behind league-leading SMU.

The win gives Wake Forest five conference victories through seven matches, with the regular-season finale at Clemson still to come. The Deacs will look to maintain their position near the top of the standings while pursuing home-field advantage in the ACC Tournament.

Top Five in ACC Standings

Rank	Team	GP	PTS	GD	GF	GA
1	SMU	6	16	+14	15	1
2	Clemson	6	15	+9	13	4
3	Wake Forest	7	15	+7	16	9
4	North Carolina	6	11	+8	16	8
5	Pitt	6	10	+2	8	6

*Standings as of Oct. 18, 2026

HOW IT HAPPENED

Syracuse's Kelvin Da Costa tested Barnett early, but the Wake Forest goalkeeper made the save to keep the match scoreless.
Jeffrey White put the first major Wake Forest opportunity on target, forcing a save from Syracuse goalkeeper Juan Martinez-Bastidas in the 10th minute.
Jose Perez tested the keeper again in the 23rd with a shot on target as the Demon Deacons continued to create opportunities in the attacking third.
Wake Forest and Syracuse remained scoreless at the break, with the Deacs holding a 6-3 advantage in shots and a 3-0 edge in corner kicks.
Wake Forest generated a flurry of opportunities following a Sullivan free kick, but Martinez-Bastidas made multiple saves to keep the match level
Barnett came up with another important stop, denying Syracuse's Dakota Jonke in the 57th
Lorentz delivered a cross from the left side, and Krueger met it with a diving header to give the Demon Deacons a 1-0 lead in the 77th minute
Just eight minutes later, Debah collected a pass from Ndong Nguema and unleashed a right-footed strike from approximately 30 yards out, finding the top-left corner to double Wake Forest's advantage.
Barnett and the Wake Forest back line held firm to preserve the clean sheet, limiting Syracuse to seven shots and two on target as the Deacs secured the 2-0 victory.

ACC REGULAR-SEASON WINS SINCE 2015
Saturday's victory marked Wake Forest's 63rd ACC regular-season win since the start of the 2015 season, further extending the program's lead over the rest of the conference. Clemson ranks second with 53 victories, followed by North Carolina with 49.

Rank	Team	ACC Wins Since 2015
1	Wake Forest	63
2	Clemson	53
3	North Carolina	49
4	Virginia	46
5	Duke	41

CONTINUING A NATIONAL STANDARD
Wake Forest continues to establish itself among the nation's most successful programs under head coach Bobby Muuss. The victory over Syracuse gave the Demon Deacons 169 wins since the start of the 2015 season, moving them into sole possession of the most victories in NCAA Division I men's soccer during that span.

The Deacs have also collected 124 home victories since 2015, extending their national lead in that category to at least 12 wins over the next-closest program.

Overall Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	Wins
1	Wake Forest	169
2	Indiana	168
3	Clemson	159
4	Georgetown	157
5	Stanford	148

Home Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	Home Wins
1	Wake Forest	124
2	Indiana	112
3	Clemson	106
4	Georgetown	100
5	Virginia	99

DETAILS OF NOTE

Krueger scored his first goal of the season and the third of his collegiate career, bringing his career total to eight points with three goals and two assists.
Lorentz recorded an assist on Krueger's goal, his fifth of the season.
- The senior now has 12 points on four goals and four assists this year.
Ronnie Garcia registered the secondary assist on Krueger's goal, his fifth assist of the season, tied with White for the team lead.
Debah scored his third goal of the season and fourth of his collegiate career, bringing his career total to 11 points with four goals and three assists.
- He has recorded a goal contribution in three consecutive matches, following his goal at Boston College and two assists against UNC Asheville.
David Ndong Nguema assisted on Debah's goal, his second of the season.
- He has started all 14 matches and played the full 90 minutes for the fourth time this year.
White recorded the secondary assist on Debah's goal, his fifth of the season and 10th of his career.
- He now has 24 career points on seven goals and 10 assists.
Barnett made two saves in his sixth consecutive start, improving to 5-1-0 during that stretch while recording 16 saves, a .762 save percentage and a 0.81 goals-against average.
Wake Forest outshot Syracuse 21-7 and put 11 attempts on target, while limiting the Orange to two shots on goal and one corner kick.
Senior and Graduates Day honored eight Demon Deacons: Jonah Mednard, Travis Smith Jr., Jose Perez, Jeffrey White, Pierce Bateson, Ethan Subachan, Luke Kirilenko and Tate Lorentz.
Wake Forest ended the night ranked No. 12 in the RPI and earned another ACC victory to strengthen its postseason résumé.

NEXT UP
Wake Forest returns to Spry Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 20, hosting Queens in a nonconference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with coverage available on ACCNX. The Demon Deacons then travel to Elon on Oct. 24 before closing the ACC regular season at Clemson on Oct. 30.