Wake Forest Athletics

Photo by: Bryce Mitchell / Wake Forest Athletics
Amaral Named to 2026 United Soccer Coaches Goalkeepers to Watch List
7/31/2026 4:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The keeper enters the 2026-27 season with a 0.84 career GAA, currently holding the top spot in program history.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Wake Forest women's soccer redshirt junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral has been named to the 2026 United Soccer Coaches Goalkeepers to Watch List, the organization announced Friday afternoon.
Amaral wrapped the 2025 season with six shutouts, 81 saves, and a .794 save percentage, earning her conference and All-America nods. The keeper remained among top powers in the country and ACC, as her save percentage finished fourth in the conference.
Tallying 3,500 career minutes between the posts, the Oviedo, Fla.-native enters the 2026 season with a program-best 0.84 GAA, ahead of current ProDeac Aubrey Bledsoe. Additionally, Amaral holds the best single-season GAA in program history (0.69), which was set as she helped lead Wake Forest to the 2024 College Cup Final.
Amaral's Career Honors
2025 All-American Third Team
2025 All-ACC Third Team
2025 All-Atlantic Region
2024 All-ACC Third Team
2024 All-Atlantic Region
Best Single-Season GAA In Program History (0.69)
These positional announcements also lead up to the 2026 watch lists for the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy on the official start date for regular season games on August 13 (women) and August 20 (men). The MAC Hermann Trophy is presented annually to the Division I National Players of the Year as voted by Division I College Coaches at the end of the regular season. The 2026 recipients will be announced on January 8, 2027, in St. Louis, Mo.
Amaral wrapped the 2025 season with six shutouts, 81 saves, and a .794 save percentage, earning her conference and All-America nods. The keeper remained among top powers in the country and ACC, as her save percentage finished fourth in the conference.
Tallying 3,500 career minutes between the posts, the Oviedo, Fla.-native enters the 2026 season with a program-best 0.84 GAA, ahead of current ProDeac Aubrey Bledsoe. Additionally, Amaral holds the best single-season GAA in program history (0.69), which was set as she helped lead Wake Forest to the 2024 College Cup Final.
Amaral's Career Honors
2025 All-American Third Team
2025 All-ACC Third Team
2025 All-Atlantic Region
2024 All-ACC Third Team
2024 All-Atlantic Region
Best Single-Season GAA In Program History (0.69)
These positional announcements also lead up to the 2026 watch lists for the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy on the official start date for regular season games on August 13 (women) and August 20 (men). The MAC Hermann Trophy is presented annually to the Division I National Players of the Year as voted by Division I College Coaches at the end of the regular season. The 2026 recipients will be announced on January 8, 2027, in St. Louis, Mo.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, July 09
Thursday, July 02
Thursday, June 25




