No. 16 Demon Deacons Close Regular Season at No. 3 Clemson

Friday, October 30

Clemson, S.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

Clemson

10/29/2026 10:59:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Watch Live Stats

Wake Forest looks to secure second place in the ACC standings and build momentum into the postseason in Friday night's regular-season finale.

By: Dylan Shackelford

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 16 Wake Forest men's soccer team closes the regular season Friday night, traveling to Clemson, S.C., for a pivotal ACC matchup against No. 3 Clemson at 7 p.m. at Historic Riggs Field.

The Demon Deacons enter the contest with an 11-3-2 overall record and a 5-2-0 mark in ACC play after playing to a scoreless draw at Elon on Saturday. Wake Forest has gone unbeaten in its last five matches, earning four victories and a draw during that stretch while outscoring opponents 12-2.

Clemson enters Friday at 11-2-2 overall and 5-1-1 in conference play after playing to a 2-2 draw at Virginia Tech on Sunday. The Tigers have scored 43 goals through 15 matches, averaging 2.87 per contest, while allowing 16 goals.

With the ACC regular season coming to a close, Friday's result carries significant postseason implications. Wake Forest sits third in the conference standings with 15 points, one behind second-place Clemson and four behind league-leading SMU. A victory would move the Demon Deacons to 18 points and secure second place in the conference.

Fans unable to attend Friday's match can watch live on ACCNX and follow along via live stats.

QUICK NOTES

The Demon Deacons enter Friday ranked No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, No. 9 in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings and No. 14 in College Soccer News.
- Additionally, Wake Forest ranks No. 16 in the current RPI.
Wake Forest has collected notable RPI victories over Syracuse (No. 37), NC State (No. 46), Duke (No. 47), Virginia (No. 48) and Boston College (No. 58). The Deacs have earned one Quadrant One victory and four Quadrant Two wins.
The Demon Deacons have gone unbeaten in five consecutive matches, defeating Boston College 2-1, UNC Asheville 3-1, Syracuse 2-0 and Queens 5-0 before playing Elon to a 0-0 draw.
Wake Forest has scored 35 goals through 16 matches, averaging 2.19 per contest, while recording 47 assists. Fifteen different Deacs have scored this season, with 11 recording multiple goals.
The Demon Deacons rank sixth nationally in total assists with 47, ninth in total points with 117 and seventh in goal differential at +22.
The Deacs have won 170 matches since the start of the 2015 season, the most in NCAA Division I men's soccer.
Wake Forest has also recorded 63 ACC regular-season victories since 2015, eight more than second-place Clemson.
The Demon Deacons have recorded seven clean sheets this season and allowed just 13 goals through 16 matches, good for a 0.81 goals-against average.
The Deacs are guaranteed to host at least one ACC Tournament match at Spry Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
- A victory Friday would put Wake Forest in position to host a quarterfinal on Sunday, Nov. 8, should the Deacs advance.

LAST TIME OUT

Wake Forest played to a scoreless draw at Elon on Saturday night at Rudd Field, extending its unbeaten streak to five matches.
The Demon Deacons controlled much of the contest, finishing with eight shots, including three on target, while holding 60 percent of possession and earning seven corner kicks. However, Elon goalkeeper Drew Hartman made three saves to keep Wake Forest off the scoreboard.
Goalkeeper Owen Barnett delivered a standout performance between the posts, making six saves to preserve the clean sheet.
- The redshirt sophomore came up with several important stops in the second half, including back-to-back saves in the 76th minute and additional stops in the 84th and 85th minutes as the Phoenix pushed for a late winner.
The result marked Wake Forest's third consecutive clean sheet and seventh of the season following shutout victories over Syracuse and Queens at home. The Demon Deacons have now allowed just 13 goals through 16 matches.
Defenders Daniel Krueger, Mason Sullivan and Copeland Berkley played the full 90 minutes, alongside midfielder David Ndong Nguema. The group helped limit Elon to 12 shots and six on target while keeping the Phoenix off the scoreboard.

SERIES HISTORY

Wake Forest leads the all-time series against Clemson, 27-23-10, entering the 61st meeting between the two programs. The Demon Deacons hold a 9-6-3 record against the Tigers under head coach Bobby Muuss.
Clemson won the first eight meetings between the programs from 1980-87, but Wake Forest has posted a 27-15-10 record against the Tigers since that stretch.
The programs met three times in 2024, with Wake Forest earning two critical postseason victories.
- The Demon Deacons defeated Clemson in the ACC Championship match on Nov. 17 before advancing past the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 1 to book a trip to the Elite Eight.
- In the ACC Championship, Clemson took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute before Nico Rabiu found the equalizer 19 minutes later.
- The match remained tied 1-1 after 120 minutes, and Wake Forest converted seven of its eight penalty attempts to capture the ACC Tournament title.
- The Tigers again took a 1-0 lead in the NCAA Round of 16, but the Demon Deacons responded with goals from freshmen Ryan Belal and Dylan Borso to earn a 2-1 victory and advance to the quarterfinals.
Wake Forest will look to draw on those postseason experiences as the teams meet in another high-stakes conference matchup at Historic Riggs Field.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Clemson enters Friday as one of the nation's most productive attacking teams, having scored 43 goals through 15 matches. The Tigers average 2.87 goals per game while allowing 16 goals, giving them a 1.07 goals-against average.
Junior Ransford Gyan leads Clemson with 12 goals, including a penalty-kick conversion in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Virginia Tech. Gyan has been one of the ACC's most dangerous attacking players throughout the season, recording a hat trick in the Tigers' 4-1 victory at UCF and scoring in their recent road wins over Stanford and Louisville.
The Tigers have also received important contributions from Duncan Wilson, Malick Daouda and Alessio Andreottola. Daouda assisted on Gyan's opening goal in Clemson's 3-0 win over Louisville, while Andreottola scored in the 2-2 draw against Virginia Tech.
Clemson has demonstrated its ability to perform against nationally ranked opponents, defeating No. 13 Stanford 3-2 on the road before earning a 3-0 victory over No. 8 Louisville at Historic Riggs Field. The Tigers most recently came from behind to take a 2-1 lead at Virginia Tech before the Hokies equalized in the second half.
Defensively, Clemson has allowed 16 goals through 15 matches. The Tigers have been particularly effective at home, entering Friday with a 7-1-1 record at Historic Riggs Field and the opportunity to close the regular season with a victory in front of their home crowd.

EL CAPITÁN

Jeffrey White continues to provide a steady presence in his first season as Wake Forest's team captain, entering Friday with a team-leading 13 points on four goals and five assists.
The Tampa, Fla., native has delivered in key moments throughout the campaign, including scoring the 87th-minute winner in the 2-1 road victory at NC State. White also recorded two assists in the 6-1 victory over Duke and scored twice in the season opener against San Francisco.
Most recently, White opened the scoring in the 5-0 victory over Queens, finding the bottom-left corner after receiving a low-driven pass into the penalty area. The goal marked his fourth of the season and eighth of his Wake Forest career, bringing his career points total to 26.
Named an ACC Preseason Player to Watch, White has consistently contributed in the attacking third while providing leadership in the midfield. His production will be important as the Demon Deacons pursue a second-place finish in the ACC standings.

DEBAH'S IMPACT IN THE ATTACK

Sophomore Alfred Debah has continued to emerge as one of Wake Forest's most productive attacking players, entering Friday with three goals and four assists for 10 points in 12 appearances.
The Liberian native recorded a goal contribution in each of the Demon Deacons' four matches before the Elon draw.
He scored in the 2-1 road victory at Boston College, recorded two assists in the 3-1 win over UNC Asheville, scored from approximately 30 yards out against Syracuse and assisted on White's opening goal in the 5-0 victory over Queens.
The stretch produced five goal contributions across four matches, including two goals and three assists.
Debah was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week following his performances.

HOMETOWN HERO

Winston-Salem native Tate Lorentz remains one of the central figures in the Demon Deacons' attack, entering Friday with four goals and four assists for 12 points.
The senior scored twice in Wake Forest's 6-1 victory over Duke before delivering the game-winning penalty against Virginia with just 14 seconds remaining. He has continued to provide production throughout the fall, most recently assisting on Daniel Krueger's opening goal against Syracuse.
Lorentz leads Wake Forest with 37 shots and continues to create dangerous opportunities from wide areas. His service and attacking movement will be important against a Clemson side that has scored 43 goals this season.
The senior was recently named the No. 21 player in the country in TopDrawerSoccer's Top 100 rankings, further recognizing his impact in his final regular season with the Demon Deacons.

BETWEEN THE POSTS

Wake Forest has relied on three goalkeepers throughout the season, with Jonah Mednard, Owen Barnett and Quinn Syrett all making important contributions between the posts.
Mednard started each of the Demon Deacons' first eight matches, recording 29 saves, a .784 save percentage and a 1.05 goals-against average. The redshirt junior also recorded two solo shutouts.
In Mednard's absence, Barnett has delivered a 6-1-1 record across eight starts, making 23 saves while posting a .821 save percentage and a 0.65 goals-against average. Barnett recorded a career-high six saves in the 0-0 draw at Elon, preserving the team's third consecutive clean sheet.
Freshman Quinn Syrett has appeared in two matches, recording nine saves without conceding a goal for a perfect 1.000 save percentage.
As a team, the Demon Deacons have allowed just 13 goals through 16 matches and recorded seven shutouts. Wake Forest ranks 15th nationally and second in the ACC in goals-against average at 0.81, while its .827 save percentage ranks 10th nationally and second in the conference.

WHERE THE DEACS STACK UP
Wake Forest continues to rank among the nation's best in several major statistical categories through 16 matches, combining an efficient attack with strong defensive numbers.

2026 Team Statistical Rankings

Category	Value	NCAA Rank	ACC Rank
Total assists	47	6th	2nd
Total points	117	9th	3rd
Goal differential	+22	7th	3rd
Assists per game	2.94	8th	2nd
Points per game	7.31	12th	3rd
Total goals	35	14th	4th
Scoring offense	2.19	22nd	5th
Shots per game	16.00	17th	5th
Shots on goal per game	6.50	30th	4th
Save percentage	.827	10th	2nd
Goals-against average	0.81	15th	2nd
Shutout percentage	.438	18th	2nd
Saves per game	3.88	70th	3rd
Corners per game	5.19	73rd	11th
Winning percentage	.750	14th	4th

Individually, Ronnie Garcia leads Wake Forest with six assists, ranking eighth in the ACC in total assists. Tate Lorentz ranks ninth in the conference in shots per game at 2.31, while Jeffrey White has 13 points to lead the Demon Deacons.

ACC STANDINGS UPDATE
Wake Forest enters the final regular-season match in third place in the ACC standings with 15 points. Clemson sits second with 16 points, while SMU leads the conference with 19.

Top Eight in ACC Standings

Rank	Team	GP	PTS	GD
1	SMU	7	19	+16
2	Clemson	7	16	+9
3	Wake Forest	7	15	+7
4	Pitt	7	13	+4
5	Louisville	7	13	0
6	North Carolina	7	12	+8
7	Virginia Tech	7	11	-2
8	Virginia	7	10	-1

Standings entering the Oct. 30 regular-season finale.

Regardless of Friday's outcome, the Demon Deacons are guaranteed to host at least the first round of the ACC Tournament at Spry Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. Tickers are available for purchase here. A win over Clemson would secure second place and give Wake Forest the opportunity to host a quarterfinal, the tournament's second round, on Sunday, Nov. 8, should the Deacs advance.

CONTINUING A NATIONAL STANDARD
Wake Forest continues to establish itself among the nation's most successful programs under head coach Bobby Muuss. The Demon Deacons have earned 170 victories since the start of the 2015 season, the most in NCAA Division I men's soccer, and have won 125 home matches during that span, 13 more than the next-closest program.

Overall Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	Wins
1	Wake Forest	170
2	Indiana	169
3	Clemson	160
4	Georgetown	158
5	Stanford	148

Wake Forest has also collected 63 ACC regular-season victories since 2015, eight more than Clemson, which ranks second with 55.

ACC Regular-Season Wins Since 2015

Rank	Team	ACC Wins
1	Wake Forest	63
2	Clemson	55
3	North Carolina	50
4	Virginia	46
5	Duke	42

RANKED-OPPONENT HISTORY

Under Muuss, Wake Forest has compiled a 47-26-16 record against ranked opponents entering Friday's matchup.
A victory over No. 3 Clemson would match the Demon Deacons' highest-ranked win since their 2-0 home victory over the No. 3 Tigers on Oct. 30, 2020.
- It would also mark Wake Forest's first top-five win since defeating No. 5 Pitt, 3-1, on Oct. 17, 2021, and its first top-10 win since a 3-0 victory over No. 9 Louisville on Oct. 28, 2022.
Wake Forest's most recent ranked road victory came on Sept. 24, 2022, when the No. 1 Demon Deacons defeated No. 10 Clemson, 6-1, at Historic Riggs Field.
The Deacs' last top-five road victory came on Oct. 6, 2017, when they defeated No. 4 North Carolina, 2-1.

NEXT UP
Wake Forest begins postseason play at Spry Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 4, hosting an ACC Tournament first-round match at 6 p.m. The Demon Deacons will look to use the home crowd and a strong finish to the regular season to advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8, with the location TBD.