No. 4 Wake Forest Heads to Pitt for Final Road Regular Season Matchup

Friday, October 30

Pittsburgh, Pa.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

Pitt

Photo by: Ethan Bissinger / Wake Forest Athletics

10/29/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Game Notes

The Demon Deacons are tied for second in the ACC with 16 points entering the week.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The No. 4 Wake Forest women's soccer team is set for its regular-season road finale as they travel north to face the Pitt Panthers this Friday, Oct. 30, at Ambrose Urbanic 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 16
No. 4 Wake Forest (12-2-1, 5-2-1 ACC) vs. Pitt Panthers (7-7-2, 1-6-1 ACC)
Friday, Oct. 30 2026 - 7:00 PM - ACCNX
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Armbrose Urbanic Field, Petersen Sports Complex

Last Time Out

Spearheaded by a first career hat trick from sophomore forward Allie Flanagan, the No. 4 Wake Forest women's soccer (12-2-1, 5-2-1 ACC) recorded a 4-1 road victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-5-4, 2-4-1 ACC) Thursday, Oct. 22 at Thompson Field.
Wake Forest took the early lead, in the sixth minute, with sophomore forward Allie Flanagan netting the opener.
- Sophomores Riley Cross and Kylie Maxwell earned assists on the goal.
While the Demon Deacons had the lead, Virginia Tech kept pressure onto the Wake Forest offense.
The Hokies called redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral into action in the seventh minute.
Amaral kept the opponent scoreless with a save in the 41st minute.
Thirty seconds later, Flanagan struck again, for her first career brace.
- The forward had a breakaway opportunity, finding a path through multiple Virginia Tech defenders before she struck.
At the half, the Demon Deacons led 2-0, with possession 57 to 43 in favor of the Deacs.
- Shots were equal at eight a piece.
Virginia Tech cut into the Deacs advantage with a goal in the 51st minute.
Amaral settled the defense with saves in the 61st and 62nd minutes.
In the 75th minute, redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe extended the Deacs lead.
- Sythe converted her fifth penalty kick of the season to make it 3-1.
Flanagan recorded a hat trick in the 86th minute with a second Wake Forest penalty kick.
The Demon Deacons defeated Virginia Tech, 4-1.

It's Getting Tricky
Sophomore forward Allie Flanagan has knocked on the door all season long as one of the primary shot takers of the Demon Deacons. The Round Hill, Va., native netted her first conference goal against NC State, and hasn't slowed down since. She scored the game-winner against No. 1 North Carolina, and the following game recorded her first career hat trick. Flanagan also tallied the Deacs' first conference hat trick since 1998, and second overall against ACC opponents. The 2025 All-ACC Freshman tallied her third goal in the 86th minute against Virginia Tech, stepping up to the line and converting her first ever penalty kick. She ranks second behind teammate Sierra Sythe in goals and points, and second behind Kylie Maxwell in shots and shots on goal. With her efforts against the Hokies, Flanagan was named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

For-Sythe County
Whether it's on offense or defense, redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe has been a commanding piece of the Deacs, guiding Wake Forest 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 seventh nationally and second in the conference with five-game winning goals, while also topping the offensive categories for the Deacs. Sythe has cemented herself as one of the nation's standout players, with a perfect penalty kick conversion rate. The defender earned her fifth of the season and eighth overall goal against Virginia Tech. 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 bring veteran experience to the backline, and lead the outfield in minutes played. The two captains work in tandem with sophomores Tahlia Zadeyan and Taylor Maxwell to lockdown the backline. With the combined powers in goal and on defense Wake Forest ranks first in the ACC with a .859 save percentage. Additionally, the Deacs are first in the conference and rank top-25 nationally with a team 0.600 goals-against average.

Finder's Keepers
Beyond the skills 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, staying at the forefront of multiple ACC goalkeeping categories. She ranks second in the conference with a 0.650 goals-against average, 0.845 save percentage, and six shutouts. Additionally, the All-American is third in Wake Forest program history with 19 career individual shutouts, behind NWSL Pros Kaitlyn Parks and Aubrey Kingsbury (Bledsoe).

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 the No. 1 team in the nation. Cross has tallied five assists in conference play, leading the ACC. Additionally, her seven season assists rank top-10 in Wake Forest program history for single-season assists. Junior Lola Ressler is third on the team with four goals, and netted her first career brace against Iowa in August. The midfielder's first goal against the Hawkeyes was just 46 seconds in, tying fourth in program history for the 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.

Pushin' PKs
Wake Forest has found a distinctive skill in penalty kick conversion this season. The Deacs are one of three teams in the nation with a 6-for-6 record at the line, tallying two in their 4-1 victory against Virginia Tech. The Demon Deacons have relied on Sierra Sythe at the line who is one of two players in the country with at least five PKs to her name.

Quick Hitters

Wake Forest remained at the top of the nation in recent polls, holding at No. 4 on United Soccer Coaches and No. 9 on TopDrawerSoccer. Their RPI ranks fourth in the nation.
- Additionally, the NCAA Committee named the Deacs No. 3 on their Top 16 teams through Oct. 24.
The Deacs are at the top of the ACC table with 16 points, sitting in third as they enter the weekend.
The Demon Deacons completed the non-conference schedule 7-0-0 and allowed one goal on the road.
Sophomore forward Allie Flanagan earned Wake Forest's sixth weekly conference honor, earning Co-Offensive Player of the Week following her multi-goal game at Virginia Tech.
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 342-206-69 (.609) record at Wake Forest.

Series History vs. Pitt

The Demon Deacons are 7-2-0 all-time against the Panthers with a 2-2-0 mark on the road.
- The two programs met for the first time in Winston-Salem on Oct. 24, 2013, where Wake Forest defeated Pitt 3-1.
The Deacs are 2-1 since 2021 at Ambrose Urbanic Field, with their last trip resulting in a 2-0 victory on Oct. 24, 2024.
- The programs faced off last year at Spry Stadium, where Wake Forest recorded a 2-1 victory.

Scouting the Panthers

The Panthers are led by head coach Ben Waldrum, in his second season with the Panthers
- Waldrum was elevated to the position of head coach in 2025 after the previous head coach and Waldrum's father, Randy, was moved to a technical director position.
- This will be the second meeting between da Luz and Waldrum..
Pitt is 7-7-2 and 1-6-1 in the ACC, with a 3-4-1 record at home.
Notable home results for the Panthers include a 0-0 draw with No. 6 Duke and a 1-0 victory over Liberty.
Offensively, Pitt averages 1 goal per game with 15 goals on 179 total shots this season.
- Sophomore Adi Bianchin leads the attack with five goals and two assists.
Meanwhile, sophomore midfielder Katie Ellermeyer has totaled five assists and one goal in her second year at Pitt.
- Defensively, the Panthers have conceded 20 goals (1.25 per match). Seniors Katie Zailiski and Sage Stelzer lead the backline in minutes played, with Stetzler also providing offense with five assists.
The defense is anchored by freshman Elli Johnson, tallying over 1,400 minutes between the posts in her rookie campaign. The keeper has recorded three shutouts and 41 saves in her 16 appearances in net, averaging 1.25 goals against.

Up Next
Wake Forest returns home for its final regular-season contest against the Clemson Tigers on Thursday, Nov. 5 at Spry Stadium. The game will be streamed nationally on ACC Network, with kickoff at 5 p.m.

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