No. 3 Demon Deacons Open ACC Schedule Against No. 10 Virginia

Saturday, September 12

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

Virginia

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Photo by: VictoriaRiccobono

No. 3 Demon Deacons Open ACC Schedule Against No. 10 Virginia

9/11/2026 1:08:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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The Deacs remain unbeaten this season, both at home and on the road.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Returning back to their home field after a successful road trip, the No. 3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons begin conference competition this Saturday, Sept. 12 as they host No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers at Spry Stadium.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACCNX with live stats available here.

Need to Know - Game 8
No. 3 Wake Forest (7-0) vs. No. 10 Virginia (4-0-2)
Saturday, Sept. 12 2026 - 7 PM - ACCNX
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Spry Stadium

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.

Ticket Information
Non-conference games are $15 for reserved seating in Section 3, and general admission in any of the bleachered sections is priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-18). Meanwhile, ACC games are $20 for reserved seating with general admission set at $15 for adults and $10 for youth.

Attendance on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill will remain free during all regular season action.

Ticket prices will increase by $5 on match days at the box office.

To secure your spot at Spry Stadium, visit godeacs.com/tickets (fees will be added for online purchases) 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

Last Time Out

Battling through the blistering Florida heat, the No. 5 Wake Forest women's soccer team (7-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) secured its second ranked victory of the season over the No. 21 Florida Gators (4-2-1, SEC 0-0-0), Sunday afternoon at Ronald R. Dizney Stadium.
Wake Forest recorded the first off-target shot of the afternoon in the fifth minute, with sophomore forward Allie Flanagan putting an attempt high of the net.
Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown made a fantastic block in the front of the box two minutes later, before the Gators could attack on net.
- Redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe followed in the 11th minute, taking a ball to the chest to clear it out of the zone and regain possession.
The Demon Deacons took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, with captain Sythe draining a strike on the right of the net.
- While the goal was unassisted, sophomore midfielder Riley Cross took the corner to set up the Deacs to score.
The Gators retaliated, sending a cross towards redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral, which she deflected. Sophomore defender Taylor Maxwell followed up to clear the rebound from danger.
Florida recorded its third shot of the match in the 31st minute, but was deflected off of the crossbar.
Wake Forest maintained pressure on the Gators, as junior midfielder Lola Ressler tallied a shot in the 37th minute, wide of the net.
In the 40th minute, T. Maxwell made another key block in the box, using her body to deflect the attempt away.
Florida had a slight edge on the Demon Deacons at the break, with possession and shots in favor of the Gators 55 to 45 percent and 5-4 shots.
The Gators tied the contest in the 58th minute.
Tippins bounced back in the same minute with a shot, but went off the post.
Wake Forest was pushed hard into its defending zone, as Florida threw an off-target shot high in the 67th minute.
Sophomore forward Kylie Maxwell tallied a shot on goal in the 77th minute.
The Demon Deacons regained the lead in the 80th minute, with a converted penalty kick from Sythe.
- Sythe has now converted all the Deacs' PKs, and marks her third-straight this season.
Wake Forest's defense fought into the final minutes, as the Deacs prevailed 2-1 over the Gators.

Shutdown and Shutout
Wake Forest ranks fourth in the nation and first in the ACC with just a single goal allowed this season. Prior to their 2-1 victory over No. 21 Florida, the Demon Deacons were on a six-game shutout streak. The Deacs have yet to allow a goal on their home turf, and have a 21-game unbeaten streak at Spry Stadium, dating back to 2024.

Sythe of All Trades
Whether it's on offense or defense, redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe has been a commanding piece, guiinding the Demon Deacons 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 nationally and first in the conference with three-game winning goals, and tops the offensive categories for the Deacs. With five goals and 11 points, she is currently on a four-game scoring streak and netted her first career brace this past Sunday against No. 21 Florida. Her consistency has shown up in other categories, converting 3-of-3 penalty kicks for the Deacs. 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.

Hold the Line
Wake Forest's defense has proven itself as one of the top defenses' in the country. Redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe and senior Sammi Wiemann continue to be secure pieces to the defense, with Sythe now on a 42-game start streak. Beyond her defensive skill, Sythe also leads the Deacs offensively across three categories. Sophomore Tahlia Zadeyan has settled into her role as centerback, bringing added height to the line. Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown filled in for Zadeyan the past two games, limiting South Florida to one shot on goal and No. 21 Florida to two SOGs. Sophomore Taylor Maxwell was unstoppable against the Florida Gators this past Sunday, and helped limit the Gators to two shots on goal.

Finder's Keepers
Beyond the efforts of the Wake Forest defense, the Deacs' anchors remain a shining element to the Demon Deacons' game. Redshirt-junior Valentina Amaral started through the first three games, recording 14 saves and three shutouts. Amaral has recorded a shutout in all but one of her appearances this season, leading the conference. Redshirt-freshman Lizzie Thornton earned her first career start this past August, facing five shots and tallying three saves against Old Dominion. Thornton launched high to make a save in the 82nd minute, securing not only the 1-0 victory but her first career shutout. Amaral ranks first in the conference and seventh in the nation with a 0.944 save percentage, allowing just one goal this season. Named to the Mac Hermann Watch List in August, Amaral ranks third in Wake Forest program history with 17 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. Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown recorded her first career goal in the home opener against No. 16 LSU, earning her TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week. Brown has shown versatility, slotting into the backline against the South Florida Bulls and Florida Gators. Junior Lola Ressler got off to a hot start this past August, striking 46 seconds into the Deacs' game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. She netted third goal of the season in the 52nd minute, recording her second career brace. Ressler's performance earned the Deacs their first win over the Hawkeyes in program history. Yet to show up on the scoresheet but providing production in game are sophomore Sofia Atehortua and junior Amaya Dawkins. Dawkins made the starts against South Florida and the Gators this past week, filling in for Brown in the midfield. Also of note is freshman Eva Forster, who recorded her first career points with an assist in the game-winning goal against the Bulls. The three have tallied minutes in multiple games, with Forster earning a start against LSU. Each of the Deacs have provided fluidity to the midfield, linking the backline to the front three.

Quick Hitters

Wake Forest were named No. 3 on the United Soccer Coaches for the fifth time in program history, as well as No. 3 on TopDrawerSoccer. They were last ranked No. 3 on Oct. 29, 2024.
The Demon Deacons completed the non-conference schedule 7-0-0 and one goal allowed on the road. They have yet to allow a goal at home.
- Redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe earned her third ACC Defensive Player of the Week nod during this past Tuesday. Sythe has also found herself on the TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year Leaderboard.
  - Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral earned ACC Co-Goalkeeper of the Week during week one of play. This past August, she was also one of eight keepers in the country to be named to the Mac Hermann Watch List.
- College Soccer News named the Deacs their team of the week, while Sierra Sythe was named to the TopDrawerSoccer team of the week.
  - TDS named the Demon Deacons their team of the week in Week One of competition, with Dempsey Brown earning national player of the week.
The Deacs returned 14 players from 2025 and over 60 percent of starters. Meanwhile, Wake Forest added five transfers and welcomed six freshmen in the offseason.
Head Coach Tony da Luz enters his 30th season with the program, with a 338-205-67 (.609) record in his time with the Deacs.
Last Thursday marked the sixth-straight shutout of the season, against the South Florida Bulls.
At home, Wake Forest extended their unbeaten streak to 21-games with a shutout against the Portland Pilots in August.

Series History vs. Virginia

This Saturday marks the 35th all-time meeting of the two programs.
- The Deacs are 9-21-4 against the Cavaliers, and 4-9-3.
Wake Forest and Virginia last met in Charlottesville, where the Top-25 ranked Deacs took down No. 2 Virginia, 3-0.
- Defender Sierra Sythe recorded her third career goal and first in ACC play against the Cavaliers.
- Also during the match, goalkeeper Valentina Amaral recorded her second-career clean sheet and first of the season.

Scouting the Cavaliers

Virginia is led by Head Coach Steve Swanson, who enters his 37th year as a head coach and 27th season at UVA. Swanson is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year and has compiled a 400-116-68 record in his time with the Cavaliers.
- In 2025, Swanson led the Cavaliers to a No. 1 ranking and the program earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history.
The Cavs are 4-0-2 prior to ACC play, with a draw in their single road game.
- The team drew 1-1 with No. 10 Tennessee on their home field, while last Sunday drew 0-0 with Georgetown in D.C.
Addison Halpern spearheads the Virginia offense, leading the Cavaliers in with five goals, 12 points, 11 shots on goal and 22 shots.

Up Next
Wake Forest embarks on another two-game road trip, heading out west to first face the Cal Golden Bears on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX with live stats available here.

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