Wake Forest Athletics
Friday, October 2
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7 p.m.
Wake Forest University
7-3-1, 3-2-0
0
vs
2
SMU
9-0-1, 4-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMU | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Wake Forest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Demon Deacons Battle No. 1 SMU
10/2/2026 11:12:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Demon Deacons suffered its first defeat at home this season, 2-0.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's soccer team fell to No. 1 SMU, 2-0, Friday night at Spry Stadium behind two second-half goals by the Mustangs.
The Demon Deacons dropped to 7-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in ACC play, snapping a three-match winning streak, while SMU improved to 9-0-1 overall and 4-0-0 in conference.
Spry Stadium welcomed a season-high 3,515 fans for a sellout, top-of-the-table ACC clash as Wake Forest and SMU entered the night tied atop the conference standings.
It was a back-and-forth, but scoreless, first half as both sides created a handful of chances while the two defenses held firm. SMU held a slight 6-4 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes, with both teams recording one shot on goal.
SMU broke through in the 54th minute when Milton Lopez finished to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage. Wake Forest pushed for an equalizer throughout the remainder of the half, generating five of its seven corner kicks and six of its 10 shots after halftime, but SMU goalkeeper Jonathan Evans made three saves to preserve the shutout.
The Mustangs added an insurance goal as Stephan Soghomonian took it to the goal with just seven seconds remaining on the clock.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FROM MUUSS
"That was a tough game. SMU's a quality side, a very mature side. I thought the first half was a good game. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, there was a ton of action, really end-to-end, chances for both groups. We were a bit unlucky in terms of our finishing, then we lost a little bit of control there. I thought SMU did a really good job of disrupting us, from the back to the front, we just never really found a rhythm in the second half like we had in the first half. So, hats off to them. They're a good team, we'll learn from it. I think the guys fought to the end. We were pushing numbers forward when they got the second one late, and there were a couple of close ones there at the end when it was 1-0, but I'm proud of the guys. It wasn't the football that we wanted to play, but I think you've got to give a lot of credit to our opponent for disrupting us the way they did. Now we've got to regroup and get prepared for the next one at Boston College."
On the crowd of more than 3,500 fans
"I told the staff to just look at this place. It's one of the larger crowds we've had in the last few years and they stayed to the end. They deserved a goal and, if we got one, this place would have erupted.I just want to say thank you. I hope they're back when we play next. From Queens to Syracuse, because they are a difference-maker. I'm sorry we didn't get them a goal, but I promise you, we'll have a better performance next time out at Spry."
UP NEXT
Wake Forest is back on the road next Friday, traveling to Boston College for a 7 p.m. ACC matchup on Oct. 9.
The Demon Deacons dropped to 7-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in ACC play, snapping a three-match winning streak, while SMU improved to 9-0-1 overall and 4-0-0 in conference.
Spry Stadium welcomed a season-high 3,515 fans for a sellout, top-of-the-table ACC clash as Wake Forest and SMU entered the night tied atop the conference standings.
It was a back-and-forth, but scoreless, first half as both sides created a handful of chances while the two defenses held firm. SMU held a slight 6-4 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes, with both teams recording one shot on goal.
SMU broke through in the 54th minute when Milton Lopez finished to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage. Wake Forest pushed for an equalizer throughout the remainder of the half, generating five of its seven corner kicks and six of its 10 shots after halftime, but SMU goalkeeper Jonathan Evans made three saves to preserve the shutout.
The Mustangs added an insurance goal as Stephan Soghomonian took it to the goal with just seven seconds remaining on the clock.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Goalkeeper Owen Barnett was called into action in the seventh minute, as he calmly took care of the Mustangs' first shot of the evening.
- The visitors logged three more shots in the first 20 minutes, but none of which tested Barnett.
- The Demon Deacons grew into the game and started generating chances as White, Garcia, Rosenfeld and Tinsley all recorded shots between the 24th and 32nd minutes.
- Rosenfeld's strike forced the SMU keeper to make a stop.
- Neither team found the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes.
- SMU held a slight edge in shots, while each team recorded one shot on goal in the first half.
- After a strong start to the second half from Wake Forest, SMU opened the scoring against the run of play in the 54th minute when Lopez converted Jaylinn Mitchell's assist.
- Wake Forest continued to pressure the Mustangs late, earning five second-half corner kicks and putting two of its three second-half shots on target.
- SMU doubled its lead in the 90th minute when Soghomonian added a goal with seven seconds left.
- Wake Forest fell to SMU, 2-0.
FROM MUUSS
"That was a tough game. SMU's a quality side, a very mature side. I thought the first half was a good game. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, there was a ton of action, really end-to-end, chances for both groups. We were a bit unlucky in terms of our finishing, then we lost a little bit of control there. I thought SMU did a really good job of disrupting us, from the back to the front, we just never really found a rhythm in the second half like we had in the first half. So, hats off to them. They're a good team, we'll learn from it. I think the guys fought to the end. We were pushing numbers forward when they got the second one late, and there were a couple of close ones there at the end when it was 1-0, but I'm proud of the guys. It wasn't the football that we wanted to play, but I think you've got to give a lot of credit to our opponent for disrupting us the way they did. Now we've got to regroup and get prepared for the next one at Boston College."
On the crowd of more than 3,500 fans
"I told the staff to just look at this place. It's one of the larger crowds we've had in the last few years and they stayed to the end. They deserved a goal and, if we got one, this place would have erupted.I just want to say thank you. I hope they're back when we play next. From Queens to Syracuse, because they are a difference-maker. I'm sorry we didn't get them a goal, but I promise you, we'll have a better performance next time out at Spry."
UP NEXT
Wake Forest is back on the road next Friday, traveling to Boston College for a 7 p.m. ACC matchup on Oct. 9.
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Men's SoccerTeam Stats
SMU
WFU
Goals
2
0
Shots
16
10
Shots on Goal
4
3
Saves
3
2
Corners
6
7
Fouls
14
9
Scoring Plays
Milton Lopez (4)
Assisted By: Jaylinn Mitchell
GOAL by SMU Lopez, Milton Assist by Mitchell, Jaylinn.
53:16
Stephan Soghomonian (6)
Assisted By: Ryan Clanton-Pimentel
GOAL by SMU Soghomonian, Stephan Assist by Clanton-Pimentel, Ryan.
89:53
Game Leaders
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Wednesday, September 30
Tuesday, September 29
Monday, September 28
Friday, September 25