Deacs Head to Palo Alto to Face No. 6 Stanford

Sunday, September 20

Palo Alto, Calif.

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

Wake Forest University

Stanford

9/19/2026 1:35:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Game Notes

The Demon Deacons are the last remaining unbeaten team in the country.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Facing off for the first time since the 2024 College Cup semifinals, the No. 3 Wake Forest women's soccer team completes its California road trip this Sunday, Sept. 20th against No. 6 Stanford Cardinal at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ACCNX with live stats available here.

Need to Know - Game 10
No. 3 Wake Forest (9-0) vs. No. 6 Stanford (6-2-1)
Sunday, Sept. 20 2026 - 1 PM PT/4 PM ET - ACCNX
Palo Alto, Calif. – Laird Q. Cagan Stadium

Last Time Out

Becoming the first team in the country to reach nine wins this season, the No. 3 Wake Forest women's soccer team (9-0-0, 2-0-0 ACC) took down the Cal Golden Bears (2-4-3, ACC 0-2-0), 3-1, Thursday night at Edwards Stadium.
The Golden Bears tested Amaral early, with the keeper recording her first save of the afternoon in the second minute.
Maxwell recorded the Deacs' first shot-on-goal in the eighth minute.
The Demon Deacons held Cal without a shot between the second and 34th minutes, when Amaral was once again called into action and kept the match deadlocked.
Wake Forest grew into the game as the half went on and found the much-deserved breakthrough in the 36th minute as Tippins beat her defender at the edge of the box with ease and slotted it home into the bottom left corner.
- Maxwell logged the assist on the goal as she picked the ball off a Cal player in the midfield and drove towards the 18 before finding Tippins.
Sasadeusz tried to double the advantage 10 minutes later, but was unable to beat the Cal keeper from distance.
The Golden Bears had their best chance 20 seconds before the break, but a diving stop from the reigning ACC Goalkeeper of the Week sent the Deacs into the locker room with a 1-0 advantage.
- The Demon Deacons held a 6-4 edge in shots over the first 45 minutes.
The two sides traded three shots apiece over the first 25 minutes of the second half until Cal found an equalizer in the 72nd minute.
It took Wake Forest just six minutes to retake the lead, as Sythe's free-kick from distance found its way into the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season and the 12th of her career.
Burst doubled the advantage in the 85th minute following a good ball from Cross to set her free before she calmly beat the keeper 1-on-1.
Amaral made her sixth, and final, save of the match in the last second to secure the 3-1 victory.

Shutdown and Shutout
Wake Forest ranks fourth in the nation and first in the ACC with two goals 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 four-game winning goals, and tops the offensive categories for the Deacs. With six goals and 13 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 44-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 two 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 0.929 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 the last remaining undefeated team in the nation.
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 339-205-67 (.610) 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. Stanford

This Sunday marks the fifth all-time meeting of the two programs.
- The Deacs are 3-0-1 against the Cardinal, and 1-0-0 at the Farm.
The two teams last met in the quarterfinals of the College Cup, which saw the Deacs advance to the final with a 1-0 victory.
- Wake Forest has not played at Stanford since 1997.

Scouting the Cardinal

Stanford is led by Paul Ratcliffe, in his 24th season with the program. Ratcliffe is the most successful coach in Stanford men's and women's soccer history, amounting a 413-74-43 record in his years with the program.
- Under his tenure, Stanford has made appearances in all but one NCAA tournament, with three national titles under his belt.
The Cardinal are 6-2-1 this season, with a 5-2-1 mark at home. Their first ACC match was a road contest at Duke, resulting in a 5-0 loss. This past Thursday, they recorded a 1-0 loss at home vs. Louisville.
Offensively, Stanford is driven by mid/fwd junior Charlotte Kohler who leads the Cardinal with six goals, 16 points and 14 shots on goal. Her four assists are second among the team. Mid/fwd sophomore Brooke Holden follows Kohler with four goals, two assists and 10 points.
The Cardinal have relied on fifth-year keeper Rhiannon Stewart as they began the ACC slate, with primary keeper Caroline Birkel out with the U.S. U20 Team. Birkel opened the season with three straight shutouts and no goals allowed, but has yet to play a game since. Stewart has tallied three shutouts and three wins in goal, with a 1.26 goals against average and 0.680 save percentage.
- Sophomore midfielder Y-Lan Nguyen was also out with the U20 squad, and prior to beginning ACC play was named to TopDrawerSoccer's Player of the Year Leaderboard.
On the backline def/fwd junior Sammy Smith leads a young group of defenders, with freshman London Young tallying 750 minutes in nine appearances.

Up Next
Wake Forest returns to Spry Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4th, to face the NC State Wolfpack at 5 p.m. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX with live stats available here.

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