No. 16 Demon Deacons Fall at No. 3 Clemson in Regular-Season Finale

Friday, October 30

Clemson, S.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

11-4-2, 5-3-0

Clemson

12-2-2, 6-1-1

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

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10/30/2026 11:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Lorentz scored his team-high fifth goal as Wake Forest turns its attention to the ACC Tournament, hosting Boston College on Wednesday.

By: Dylan Shackelford

CLEMSON, S.C. - The No. 16 Wake Forest men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 3 Clemson on Friday night at Historic Riggs Field in the regular-season finale.

The Demon Deacons finished the regular season with an 11-4-2 overall record and a 5-3-0 mark in ACC play, while Clemson improved to 12-2-2 overall and 6-1-1 in conference action.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Clemson broke through with a penalty-kick conversion in the 54th minute before doubling its advantage just over 11 minutes later. Wake Forest responded in the 69th minute when senior Tate Lorentz followed up his saved penalty kick and buried the rebound to cut into the deficit.

Lorentz's fifth goal of the season brought his team-leading point total to 14, but the Demon Deacons were unable to find an equalizer in the closing minutes.

Goalkeeper Owen Barnett made five saves, including an important point-blank stop in the 27th minute, to keep Wake Forest within striking distance throughout the contest. The redshirt sophomore finished the regular season with 28 saves.

Defenders Daniel Krueger and Mason Sullivan, along with midfielder David Ndong Nguema, played the full 90 minutes for the Demon Deacons.

ACC TOURNAMENT
Wake Forest enters the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament and is guaranteed to host Boston College in the first round on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at Spry Stadium. The Demon Deacons will battle the Eagles for the second time this season after earning a 2-1 road victory on Oct. 9.

With a win on Wednesday, Wake Forest will be guaranteed to host its second-round matchup on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Spry Stadium, giving the Demon Deacons an opportunity to play multiple postseason matches in front of Deacon Nation.

Tickets for Wednesday's match are on sale now. Reserved chairback seats are $15, bleacher seats are $10 and tickets on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill are $5. Ticket prices increase by $5 on gameday at the box office and tickets are required for all postseason matches.

Tickets are available here.

FROM COACH MUUSS
"There are no moral victories when you wear the Wake Forest jersey. Unfortunately, the guys competed in an extremely hostile environment against a very good Clemson side. There were glimpses of some really good stuff from us tonight, along with a handful of self-inflicted wounds that led to dangerous opportunities and eventually goals. That's something we need to clean up if we want to reach our goals and continue to play late into the postseason, both in the ACC and NCAA Tournament.

I have all the confidence in the world in my group of leaders, these players and staff. We'll be ready to put our best foot forward in the ACC Tournament and moving forward. I believe in this group. I think it could be a special side, and I'm looking forward to getting back to Winston, getting to work and having what I feel are the best fans in college soccer come out and support us for hopefully multiple games at Spry during the ACC Tournament."

NOTES

Lorentz scored his fifth goal of the season, giving him a team-leading 14 points. Four of his five goals this season have come in ACC play.
- The senior's goal came after his initial penalty-kick attempt was saved. Lorentz immediately collected the rebound and finished to make it a 2-1 contest.
- In his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Lorentz has recorded 11 goals and nine assists for 31 career points.
Barnett recorded five saves, including a point-blank stop in the 27th minute. He finishes the regular season with 28 saves, a .800 save percentage and a 0.81 goals-against average.
Krueger, Sullivan and Ndong Nguema all played the full 90 minutes for the Demon Deacons, helping anchor the defensive effort against one of the nation's top attacking teams.
The match marked the end of Wake Forest's five-match unbeaten streak, during which the Deacs collected four victories and one draw.
Wake Forest finished the regular season with 36 goals scored and 15 goals allowed through 17 matches.
The Demon Deacons enter the postseason with seven clean sheets and a team goals-against average of 0.88.

HOW IT HAPPENED

27th minute: Barnett came up with a point-blank save to keep the match scoreless and deny Clemson an early breakthrough.
Halftime: The Demon Deacons and Tigers went into the break tied 0-0, with Clemson holding a 10-2 advantage in shots.
53rd minute: Clemson was awarded a penalty kick, which Mason Jimenez converted to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
65th minute: Ransford Gyan doubled Clemson's advantage, finishing a pass from Mateo Tsakiris to make it 2-0.
69th minute: Lorentz stepped up for a penalty kick that was initially saved before the senior pounced on the rebound and finished to bring Wake Forest within one.
Final minutes: The Demon Deacons pushed for an equalizer but were unable to find the back of the net as Clemson held on for the 2-1 victory.

NEXT UP
Wake Forest opens the ACC Tournament at Spry Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 4, hosting Boston College in the first round. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. With a victory, the Demon Deacons will also host a second-round matchup on Sunday, Nov. 8, as they look to make a run toward another ACC Tournament championship.