Nov. 14, 2003

Box Score

CARY, N.C.- Wake Forest's hopes for an ACC Championship in 2003 came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Virginia on Friday night in Cary, N.C. For the third straight year, the Deacons were eliminated in the ACC Tournament semifinals by a 1-0 score at the hands of Virginia.

The Deacons lost in the same fashion as they did almost a year ago to the day in the 2002 ACC Tournament -- on an own goal. The tally even happened in the same end and same side of the field at the SAS Stadium.

A miscommunication between the Wake Forest defense and goalkeeper resulted in the tally. With no attacking players in the area, there was really no immediate scoring threat for Virginia. Defender James Riley touched the ball back to a goalkeeper Brad McEachern, expecting McEachern to control the ball closer to his goal. McEachern, however, planned on playing the ball himself and was charging quickly. The end result was a 1-0 lead for Virginia at the 7:04 mark.

Wake Forest maintained possession for the overwhelming majority of the match. The Deacons outshot the Cavaliers 11-3 including a 7-1 edge in the second half. But Wake Forest couldn't penetrate the Virginia defense which saw 11 players behind the ball for most of the 82 minutes following the own goal.

As expected, the match was filled with whistles, fouls, yellow cards and flaring tempers. Virginia was whistled for 18 fouls to Wake Forest's 14. Each team was issued two yellow cards. Wake Forest's Amir Lowery picked up the first in the 35th minute on a hard foul in the midfield. Riley picked up a caution for delay of game while Virginia was lining up for an indirect free kick in the Wake Forest penalty area.

In between those incidents, Virginia earned a pair of yellow cards. Both were violent plays. On a free kick in the 66th minute, Michael Parkhurst sent a long service into the penalty area in search of Wiggy Saunders. In mid-air, Saunders and UVa defender Matt Oliver got tangled up. The ball sailed over both their heads and out of play. Both Saunders and Oliver toppled to the ground in the six-yard box. As they rolled over to get up, Oliver's cleats hit Saunders squarely in the face. Tempers flared on both sides and when order was restored, Oliver was yellow-carded.

Three minutes later, a Wake Forest player was taken down from behind by Virginia's Hunter Freeman right in front of the Deacon bench. Again, tempers flared and words were exchanged. Another caution was issued and Freeman was the recipient.

The series has a long lengthy history of physical play. In the eight meetings prior to tonight's contest, dating back to 2000, Virginia had received two red cards, 22 cautions and 178 fouls. Wake Forest had no red cards, 12 cautions and 135 fouls. That's a combined average of almost 40 fouls and three cautions -- well over the norm for the games involving the Deacons.

Wake Forest is eliminated from the ACC Tournament in the semifinal round for the third straight year, all by Virginia, all by 1-0 scores. Last year, the Deacons lost to Virginia 1-0 on an own goal in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

Wake Forest is now 15-4 overall and Virginia is 9-9-1. The Deacons expect to receive an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament when the brackets are announced on Monday afternoon on ESPN News.

Box Score

                  1 2   F
Virginia          1 0 - 1
Wake Forest       0 0 - 0

Scoring: 7:04 UVa Own Goal

Shots: Virginia 3, Wake Forest 11
Corner Kicks: Virginia 3, Wake Forest 3
Fouls: Virginia 18, Wake Forest 14
Offsides: Virginia 5, Wake Forest 2
Goalkeeping: Virginia - Ryan Burke (90 minutes, 0 goals against, 5 saves); Wake Forest - Brad McEachern (90 minutes, 1 goal against, 1 save)
Cautions: Virginia 2, Wake Forest 2
Referee: Dennis Cook