Wake Forest Set to Welcome VCU to Spry for Sunday Night Clash

Sunday, August 23

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

VCU

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The Deacons' season opener against the San Francisco Dons on Thursday, August 20th, 2026 at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC / Wake Forest Athletics

Photo by: Seth Seebaugh / Wake Forest Athletics

Wake Forest Set to Welcome VCU to Spry for Sunday Night Clash

8/22/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

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The Deacs will look to start the season with consecutive wins for the eighth time under head coach Bobby Muuss.

By: Dylan Shackelford

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Fresh off a 4-2 season-opening victory over San Francisco, the Wake Forest men's soccer team will remain at home Sunday night when it welcomes VCU to Spry Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Demon Deacons will look to carry the momentum into Sunday following an electric performance in front of a phenomenal home crowd on Thursday night. Spry Stadium was rocking as more than 3,200 fans, including 1,500 students, packed the stands to create one of the most memorable atmospheres in college soccer.

With another opportunity to play in front of the home crowd tomorrow, fans are encouraged to secure tickets to Sunday's match and be a part of what promises to be another outstanding atmosphere at Spry Stadium.

For those unable to attend in person, Sunday's matchup against the Rams will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. Live stats will also be available here throughout the match.

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

Wake Forest opened the 2026 season with a 4-2 victory over San Francisco on Thursday night at Spry Stadium.
Senior captain Jeffrey White scored twice for the first multi-goal performance of his career, including the equalizing goal in the 21st minute and the insurance goal in the 77th.
Senior midfielder Jose Perez added a goal from the penalty spot and an assist, marking the first multi-goal contribution game of his career.
Freshman Philip Biskupski scored the first goal of his collegiate career in the 58th minute, while fellow newcomer Ronnie Garcia recorded his first collegiate assist on a perfectly weighted ball into the box.
Eight Demon Deacons made their Wake Forest debuts, including Biskupski, Garcia, Joby Reid, Luke Kirilenko, Marcos Miranda, Henry Rosenfeld, Oliver Kurnik and Will Kuisel.
Wake Forest controlled 61 percent of possession and held advantages in shots (18-14) and corner kicks (6-4).
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Jonah Mednard made four saves, including three in the second half, to help the Deacs hold San Francisco scoreless over the final 64 minutes.
The four goals marked Wake Forest's most in a season opener since a 5-1 victory over Rutgers in 2017.

MATCHUP NOTES

Wake Forest currently owns a 5-2-2 all-time record against the Rams and is looking for its first win in the series since 2013.
- VCU took the most recent meeting, 2-1, on Aug. 22, 2024, despite then-sophomore Jose Perez scoring his first-career goal in the match.
Wake Forest has won its first two games of the season on seven occasions since Muuss took over in 2015, including last year with wins over UCF (2-1) and Oral Roberts (2-0) at home.
With Thursday's opening victory over San Francisco, Wake Forest extended its nation-leading mark of 160 total wins and 118 home wins since Muuss' arrival in 2015.

SCOUTING THE RAMS

VCU comes to Winston-Salem after falling 4-1 at No. 14 UNCG on Thursday night.
- The Rams trailed by just one goal entering the final 15 minutes before UNCG scored twice late to pull away.
- Freshman defender Jonas Hassel Pettersen scored VCU's lone goal in the 62nd minute, marking his first collegiate goal.
Last season, the Rams posted a 6-6-5 record and bowed out in the A-10 Tournament quarterfinals.
They welcomed 10 newcomers for the 2026 season, including two undergraduate transfers and eight freshmen.
- Freshman midfielder Bya Ndimubandi was named to TopDrawerSoccer's preseason Best XI Freshman Team.
- Transfer defender Jordan Cheetham arrives from South Carolina after earning eight senior-level caps with the Bahamas National Team.
- Freshman forward Kimarly Scott brings an impressive scoring résumé after competing with Jamaica Premier League side Cavalier FC and leading Excelsior High School to Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles in 2025.

FAN INFORMATION

Parking is encouraged in lots A, B, Q, W1 & W2. A complete parking map of campus is here.
Gates open one hour prior to kickoff for all home matches.

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION

2026 Wake Forest soccer season tickets are on-sale now giving fans the opportunity to witness The Best Fan Experience In North Carolina from a number of unique seating options!
Adult season tickets start as low as $75 for general admission and $55 for youth. Reserved chairbacks are $135 for adults and $115 for youth and Wake Forest University faculty and staff.
Fans can catch all of Demon Deacon home action this fall as well by purchasing combo season tickets to see both men's and women's soccer starting as low as $100 for general admission. Reserved chairbacks are $190 for adults and $150 for youth and Wake Forest University faculty and staff.
Attendance on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill is free during all preseason and regular season action.
To order, visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322.

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION

Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at maddenr@wfu.edu.

MEET THE NEW DEACS
Experienced Transfers

Wake Forest adds five proven collegiate players in Joby Reid, Ronnie Garcia, Miles Hadley, Luke Kirilenko and Marcos Miranda. This earned Wake Forest the No. 23 ranked transfer class in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.
Reid arrives in Winston-Salem after a breakout freshman campaign at Houston Christian, where he was named the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year while totaling six goals and six assists.
Garcia earned CAA All-Rookie Team honors at Campbell after appearing in 17 matches and scoring his first collegiate goal while primarily playing left wing-back.
Hadley joins the Demon Deacons following two standout seasons at Army West Point, where he started all 34 matches of his career and helped the Black Knights record eight clean sheets in 2025.
Miranda enters the program after earning Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year and NAIA Third Team All-America honors at John Brown, finishing his two seasons with 11 goals and 11 assists.
Kirilenko brings more than 50 Division I appearances after stops at Rider and Hofstra, earning MAAC All-Academic Team and CSC Academic All-District honors.

Elite Academy Products

Will Kuisel, the nation's No. 55 recruit according to TopDrawerSoccer, arrives from FC Cincinnati Academy after competing in both MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro.
Nolan Tinsley, ranked No. 77 nationally, joins Wake Forest from Barca Residency Academy after earning Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors.
Henry Rosenfeld starred for Cedar Stars Bergen, helping the club reach two MLS NEXT Cup Finals.

Professional and International Experience

Goalkeeper Quinn Syrett developed in Charlotte FC's academy, made his professional debut with Crown Legacy and recently earned a call-up to the United States U-18 National Team.
Philip Biskupski spent five seasons with Toronto FC Academy, recording more than 60 goals and 60 assists while representing Canada internationally and training with Bayern Munich's academy.
Oliver Kurnik trained with Orange County SC's first team while developing through San Diego Surf ECNL and City SC MLS NEXT.
Rooney Osei arrives after starring with Asanska FC, earning five Man of the Match honors in Ghana.

CONTINUING A CHAMPIONSHIP STANDARD

Wake Forest's 2026 signing class is ranked No. 9 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.
Since 2021, the Demon Deacons have signed recruiting classes ranked No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, No. 10 and now No. 9 nationally.
The class joins a program that has produced more than 50 professional players since 2015.

RETURNING PRODUCTION

Despite sending multiple standouts to the professional ranks last season, Wake Forest returned 46.2 percent of its goals (18 of 39), 47.1 percent of its assists (16 of 34) and 66.7 percent of its minutes played (11,222 of 16,830) from last season.
Four of Wake Forest's five players who started all 17 matches last season return: Jonah Mednard, Jose Perez, Travis Smith Jr. and Amoni Thomas.
Goalkeeper Jonah Mednard is back after starting every match in 2025, recording 53 saves and six clean sheets.
Wake Forest also brings back three of its top defensive minute earners in Travis Smith Jr. (1,400 minutes), Daniel Krueger (886) and Mason Sullivan (735) while also welcoming back Copeland Berkley (384) and Lorenze Currie (47) after impressive freshman campaigns.
MLS SuperDraft selection Tate Lorentz elected to return to Winston-Salem after finishing second on the team with six goals and five assists a season ago.
Additional returning contributors in the midfield and the attack include Jeffrey White (three goals, two assists), Jose Perez (three goals) and Joel Torbic (2025 Most Improved Player).
Rising sophomores David Nguema, Alfred Debah and Chandler Young also showed promising flashes during their freshman seasons and will look to play an even bigger role in the squad this fall.

BUILDING ON LAST SEASON

Wake Forest had two MLS SuperDraft selections following the 2025 season, highlighted by Harvey Sarajian becoming Bobby Muuss' fifth top-five draft pick.
Cooper Flax signed a Homegrown contract with New York City FC, becoming Wake Forest's 14th Homegrown signing under Muuss.
The Demon Deacons led the ACC and ranked seventh nationally in goals per game with 39 goals in 17 matches.
Wake Forest continues to lead the nation with 159 total victories since 2015 while capturing an ACC-best three conference championships during that span.

THE SPRY ADVANTAGE

Since 2015, Wake Forest has totaled 118 home victories, 15 more than any other Division I program.
- The Demon Deacons have posted an ACC-best 81.2 percent home winning percentage during that stretch.
Last season, the Deacs posted a 6-2-4 mark at home and will have plenty of opportunities this year for more marquee wins at Spry Stadium.
- Wake Forest hosts three of the top seven teams picked in the ACC preseason poll with Virginia (No. 3), SMU (No. 4) and Duke (No. 7) all paying a visit to Winston-Salem this season.

BATTLE TESTED DEACS

Of the 17 teams on the 2026 schedule, five are ranked in either the United Soccer Coaches or TopDrawerSoccer top 25 preseason polls.

2026 Wake Forest Opponents Ranked in the Preseason Top 25

Team	TDS Rank	USC Rank	Date	Location
NC State	#6	#2	Sept. 25	Raleigh, N.C.
Virginia	#16	#11	Sept. 19	Winston-Salem, N.C.
Akron	#8	#12	Aug. 28	Akron, Ohio
SMU	#14	#15	Oct. 2	Winston-Salem, N.C.
Duke	#15	RV	Sept. 5	Winston-Salem, N.C.

THE HOMETOWN KID RETURNS

Winston-Salem native Tate Lorentz enjoyed a breakout campaign after transferring to Wake Forest ahead of the 2025 season.
The redshirt sophomore finished second on the team in goals (6), assists (5) and points (17), with those totals also ranking among the ACC leaders in each category.
Lorentz was one of the most clinical finishers in the conference, converting six of his 17 total shots for an impressive .353 shooting percentage, the best mark on the roster.
His season was highlighted by a five-point performance (2 G, 1 A) against UNCW on Sept. 16, recording his first-career brace and the second highest single-match point total by any Demon Deacon last season behind Cooper Flax's hat trick against Liberty.

NATIONAL CHAMPION BACK IN WINSTON

One of the most decorated players in Demon Deacon history, Zack Schilawski, who helped lead the team to the program's first NCAA National Championship in 2007, has returned to Wake Forest ahead of the 2026 season as assistant coach/director of player development after spending the previous two seasons on the coaching staff at Pittsburgh.
He notably scored the match-winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship match against Ohio State.
Helped guide the Panthers to the 2024 ACC Regular Season Championship, the first in program history, while assisting Pitt to the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance.
Worked closely with Pitt's attacking players and helped develop multiple All-ACC performers and MLS talent, including 2025 MLS SuperDraft selection Michael Sullivan.
Finished his Wake Forest career as the program's all-time leader in appearances (99) while totaling 100 career points on 40 goals and 20 assists. Recorded 15 career game-winning goals.
Earned Third Team All-America honors as a senior in 2009 after leading the ACC in goals and points.
Two-time Academic All-American and finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Selected ninth overall by the New England Revolution in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
Scored five goals as an MLS rookie and became the first rookie in league history to record a hat trick in his home debut.
Also played professionally for the Carolina RailHawks before beginning his coaching career, which included assistant coaching stops at UNC Wilmington, Denver and Pittsburgh.

WHITE NAMED TO ACC PRESEASON PLAYER TO WATCH LIST

Wake Forest senior Jeffrey White has been named to the ACC Preseason Watch List, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced ahead of the 2026 men's soccer season.
White enters his senior campaign following the most productive season of his Wake Forest career. The Tampa, Florida, native started 15 of 16 appearances in 2025, recording career highs with three goals and two assists for eight total points.
White opened the 2025 season by scoring the game-winning goal in Wake Forest's 2-1 victory over UCF with a phenomenal strike from just outside the box. He added goals against UNCW and Notre Dame while also recording assists against Lipscomb and North Carolina.
A consistent contributor throughout his career, White has appeared in 57 matches entering his senior season, making 28 starts.
As a sophomore in 2024, White was one of just five Demon Deacons to appear in all 24 matches, tallying three assists while making 12 starts.
White made 17 appearances as a true freshman in 2023, scoring his first collegiate goal in a 5-1 victory over Robert Morris after making his collegiate debut in the season opener against Grand Canyon.
In addition to his on-field contributions, White was recently named one of Wake Forest's three team captains for the 2026 season, earning the honor after emerging as one of the program's most consistent leaders on and off the pitch over the last three seasons.

LOOKING AHEAD
Wake Forest will hit the road for the first time in 2026 as it travels to Ohio for battles against No. 12 Akron (Friday, Aug. 28) and Bowling Green (Monday, Aug. 31).