No. 3 Wake Forest Begins Road Stretch in California

Thursday, September 17

Berkeley, Calif.

4 p.m. (PT) / 7 p.m. (ET)

Wake Forest University

Cal

9/16/2026 9:49:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Game Notes

The Demon Deacons are one of two teams in the country that are 8-0 with no ties. The only other team in the NCAA is Boston College.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

BERKELEY, Calif. - Fresh off their third ranked win to start conference play, the No. 3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons begin a two-game road trip starting this Thursday, Sept. 17th against the Cal Golden Bears.

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

Need to Know - Game 9
No. 3 Wake Forest (8-0) vs. Cal (2-3-3)
Thursday, Sept. 17 2026 - 47PM ET - ACCNX
Berkeley, Calif. – Edwards Stadium

Last Time Out

Fighting through rain and a weather delay, the No. 3 Wake Forest women's soccer team (8-0-0, 1-0-0 ACC) took down the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers (4-1-2, ACC 0-1-0), Saturday night at Spry Stadium.
The Cavaliers found early momentum with consecutive corners in the 8th minute.
- Virginia recorded an off-target shot a minute later.
Sophomore forward Kylie Maxwell ran up the slot for a shot on net in the 12th minute.
Wake Forest gained pace off a corner that same minute, as grad student forward Henley Tippins found senior defender Sammi Wiemann for a header, however the goal was offside.
The two teams battled throughout the first half, as the Deacs kept pressuring into the zone.
The contest entered a rain delay, putting action on hold.
Despite the weather, the Demon Deacons took the lead upon returning back to the field in the 37th minute.
- Tippins found K. Maxwell at the top of the box, leaving the sophomore to drill the ball deep into the net.
- Sophomore forward Allie Flanagan also earned an assist on the goal, her first of the season.
The Cavaliers called redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral into action in the 53rd minute.
Amaral tallied her second save of the night in the 66th minute.
Wake Forest's defense remained solid through Virginia's attempts into the box and towards the net.
The Hoos sent a header into the net in the 85th minute, but after review the goal was deemed offsides and Wake Forest maintained their one goal lead.
Senior defender Sammi Wiemann made a huge block inside the box to keep the Cavs attempt away from reaching Amaral.
The Demon Deacons defended into the final minutes and defeated No. 10 Virginia, 1-0.

Shutdown and Shutout
Wake Forest ranks third 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 22-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, guiding 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 held a four-game scoring streak prior to ACC play. 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.

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 continue to be secure pieces to the defense, with Sythe now on a 43-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 helping to 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 continues to dominate in goal, earning her 30th career win against No. 10 Virginia to open conference competition. Amaral has recorded a shutout in all but one of her appearances this season, leading the conference and third in the nation. This past Tuesday, she was named ACC Keeper of the Week for the second time this year. 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 third in the nation with a 0.952 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 18 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. 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

The Demon Deacons are one of two teams in the country that are 8-0 with no ties. The only other team in the NCAA is Boston College.
Wake Forest stayed No. 3 on the United Soccer Coaches, and moved up to No. 2 on TopDrawerSoccer.
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 goalkeeper Valentina Amaral was named ACC Co-Goalkeeper for the second time this season, as announced this past Tuesday. In August, she was also one of eight keepers in the country to be named to the Mac Hermann Watch List.
- Redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe earned her third ACC Defensive Player of the Week nod following completion of non-conference play. Sythe has also found herself on the TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year Leaderboard.
  - TDS named the Demon Deacons their team of the week in Week One of competition, with Dempsey Brown earning national player of the week.
Head Coach Tony da Luz is in his 30th season with the program, with a 338-205-67 (.609) record in his time with the Deacs.
At home, Wake Forest extended their unbeaten streak to 22-games with a shutout against No. 10 Virginia.

Series History vs. Cal

This Saturday marks the fifth all-time meeting of the two programs.
- The Deacs are 1-2-1 against the Golden Bears, and 1-1-0 on the road.
Wake Forest and Cal last met at Spry Stadium, resulting in a 2-2 draw.
- The Demon Deacons have not played at Edwards Stadium since 2003.

Scouting the Golden Bears

Cal is led by head coach Neil McGuire, in his 20th season with the program. McGuire is the all-time wins leader in the program, and has led the Golden Bears to NCAA Tournament appearances in 14 of his 19 seasons.
- Prior to his time at California, McGuire served as the head coach at Texas Tech and Mississippi State.
The Golden Bears are 2-3-3 this season, with a 2-0-2 mark at home. Their first ACC match was a road contest against North Carolina, resulting in a 0-3 loss.
Senior defender Miriam Hills leads Cal with two goals and four points. Hills has started seven of eight appearances.
Seniors Reese Doherty and Soleil Dimry have provided one goal a piece for the Bears, both leading their team with six shots on goal.
Junior Alyssa Savig anchors the Cal backline, playing all but one game this season.
- Savig has allowed five goals this season, and tallied two shutouts. She ranks seventh in the ACC with 0.714 goals against average.

Up Next
The Deacs stay in North Cali and head to Palo Alto to face No. 6 Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 20th. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX with live stats available here.

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