Deacs Set for Road Contest in Blacksburg - Wake Forest University Athletics

Thursday, October 22

Blacksburg, Va.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

Virginia Tech

The Deacons' game against UNC on Thursday, October 18th, 2026 at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

Photo by: Ethan Bissinger / Wake Forest Athletics

10/21/2026 12:12:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Watch

The Demon Deacons are third in the ACC with 13 points prior to Thursday’s match.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Coming off an exhilarating victory over the No. 1 team in the nation, the No. 4 Wake Forest women's soccer team will face the Virginia Tech Hokies on the road this Thursday, Oct. 22 at Thompson Field.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ACCNX with live stats available here.

Need to Know - Game 15
No. 4 Wake Forest (11-2-1, 4-2-1 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (6-4-4, 2-3-1 ACC)
Thursday, Oct. 22 2026 - 7:00 PM - ACCNX
Blacksburg, Va. – Thompson Field

Last Time Out

Despite going down a goal in the opening 15 minutes, the No. 4 Wake Forest women's soccer team (11-2-1, 4-2-1 ACC) battled back and took down No. 1 North Carolina (12-2-0, ACC 5-1-0), 3-1, Sunday night at Spry Stadium.
The Tar Heels took an early lead, scoring the opening goal of the match in the 13th minute.
Wake Forest began knocking on the door, drawing a corner in the 20th minute.
The Demon Deacons found the equalizer in the 21st minute.
- Graduate student forward Henley Tippins knocked in the header off a corner set up by sophomore midfielder Riley Cross and redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe.
Less than two minutes later, Wake Forest took control of the contest, with a goal from sophomore forward Allie Flanagan.
- Sophomore midfielder Riley Cross and redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe recorded assists on the goal.
Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral kept the Tar Heels at bay with a save in the 23rd minute.
The Deacs entered the locker room with the lead, as North Carolina held possessions in their favor at 63 percent.
Less than a minute out of the break, the Demon Deacons extended their advantage with a strike from Kylie Maxwell.
- Senior forward Kaitlyn Sasadeusz put a cross net front for Maxwell who's first shot was saved by the Carolina keeper.
  - Maxwell picked up the rebound and drained it for her fourth goal of the season and 10th of her career.
North Carolina responded with pressure in the 60th minute, holding the ball in the Deacs' defensive zone.
- Sophomore defender Tahlia Zadeyan helped keep Wake Forest ahead with a block in the box.
The Tar Heels called Amaral into action in the 61st, with the keeper recording her fourth save of the night.
In the 71st minute, Carolina looked to put another chance on net, but the ball was blocked and cleared by Zadeyan.
Wake Forest stayed aggressive as the clock winding down, with Sythe clearing the ball from a UNC forward and out of danger.
Amaral stayed composed, with a leaping save in the 79th minute.
- She followed with another two minutes later from a Tar Heel corner.
Wake Forest defeated North Carolina, 3-1.

Sierra Snipe
Whether it's on offense or defense, redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe has been a commanding piece, guiding the Demon Deacons to a 7-0 record before conference play. The captain has gone the full 90 all but one game this season, still recording 82 minutes in the game. Sythe ranks sixth nationally and first in the conference with five-game winning goals, and tops the offensive categories for the Deacs. With seven goals and 16 points, she held a four-game scoring streak prior to ACC play. Her consistency has shown up in other categories, converting 4-of-4 penalty kicks for the Deacs. Sythe's efforts this season have earned her three ACC Player of the Week awards, and a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year Leaderboard. Most recently, she was named on the Mac Hermann Midseason Trophy Watch List for the first time in her career.

Department of Defense
Wake Forest's defense has proven itself as one of the top defenses' in the country. Redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe and senior Sammi Wiemann continue to be secure pieces to the defense, with Sythe now on a 49-game start streak. Beyond her defensive skill, Sythe also leads the Deacs offensively across three categories. Sophomore Tahlia Zadeyan has settled into her role as centerback, bringing added height to the line. Sophomore Taylor Maxwell was unstoppable against the Florida Gators helping to limit the Gators to two shots on goal. With the combined skills across the backline, Wake Forest limited No. 10 Virginia to three shots on goal in their ACC opener. With the combined efforts in net and on the backline, Wake Forest ranks first in the ACC with a .857 save percentage. Additionally, the Deacs are first in the conference and top-25 in the nation with a team 0.571 goals against average.

Finder's Keepers
Beyond the efforts of the Wake Forest defense, the Deacs' anchors remain a shining element to the Demon Deacons' game. Redshirt-junior Valentina Amaral continues to dominate in goal, leading the ACC across multiple categories. She ranks second in the conference with 0.620 goals against average, 0.843 save percentage and seven shutouts. Additionally, the All-America is third in Wake Forest program history with 19 career individual shutouts, behind NWSL Pros Kaitlyn Parks and Aubrey Kingsbury (Bledsoe). In September, she was named to the Mac Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, college soccer's highest individual honor. Redshirt-freshman Lizzie Thornton earned her first career start this past August, facing five shots and tallying three saves against Old Dominion. Thornton launched high to make a save in the 82nd minute, securing not only the 1-0 victory but her first career shutout.

Midfield Mania
The Wake Forest midfield has been a force to fear both at home and on the road. Sophomore Riley Cross was a key piece in the victory against North Carolina, recording two assists in the 3-1 victory over No. 1 North Carolina. Junior Lola Ressler is second on the team with four goals, with her most recent strike against NC State in October. In August, Ressler netted her first career brace in August against Iowa. The midfielder's first goal against the Hawkeyes was just 46 seconds in, tying fourth in program history for fastest goal scored. Alongside Ressler, senior captain Dempsey Brown recorded her first career goal in the home opener against No. 16 LSU, earning her TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week. The midfielder has shown versatility, slotting into the backline for three games this season.

Quick Hitters

Wake Forest remained at the top of the nation in recent polls, earning No. 4 on United Soccer Coaches and No. 10 TopDrawerSoccer. Their RPI ranks fifth in the nation.
The Demon Deacons completed the non-conference schedule 7-0-0 and one goal allowed on the road.
- Redshirt juniors Valentina Amaral and Sierra Sythe have amassed numerous accolades already this season, including spots on the Mac Hermann Midseason Watch List.
  - Sythe has been named ACC Defender of the week three times, while Amaral was named Goalkeeper of the week twice.
  - Additionally, Sythe sits on the TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year Leaderboard.
Head Coach Tony da Luz is in his 30th season with the program, with a 341-206-68 (.609) record in his time with the Deacs.

Series History vs. Virginia Tech

Wake Forest is 8-10-3 all time against the Hokies, and are 4-5-1 on the road.
- The two programs met for the first time ever on Nov. 4, 2009.
The Deacs are 4-1 in the last four meetings, with all but one game at Spry Stadium
- Wake Forest last traveled to Blacksburg in 2023, recording a 2-0 win over Virginia Tech.

Scouting the Hokies

Virginia Tech is led by head coach Charles "Chugger" Adair, in his 16th season at the helm and 21st overall at Blacksburg.
The Hokies are 6-4-4 overall with a 2-3-1 conference mark and 2-3-2 home record. They are currently 13th in the ACC with seven points.
- Notable results include a 2-2 draw against Liberty and a 2-1 victory over Georgetown.
Offensively, senior forward Anna Weir leads the Hokies with seven goals and 18 points.
- Fellow senior forward Elliana Salama leads the squad with seven assists, and is second behind Weir with 11 points.
Defensively, sophomore Madi Boutot has totaled the most minutes of any outfield player, followed by freshman Celine Kampmann and sophomore Ellie Robertson.
Between the posts junior Julianna Trujillo anchors the defense with 16 goals against this season. She's totaled one shutout and six wins this season, with a 0.746 save percentage.

Up Next
The Deacs head to Pittsburgh, Pa. for its final road contest of the regular season, to face the Pitt Panthers on Friday, Oct. 30th. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

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