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#1 Deacons Host Georgia Southern on Senior Night
Men's Soccer attempts to finish regular season undefeated.
Nov. 8, 2002
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Game #18
Georgia Southern (2-14-2, 1-5-2 SoCon)
at #1/1/1 Wake Forest (13-0-4, 4-0-2 ACC)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:00 pm
Spry Stadium
#1 Wake Forest Looks to Finish Regular Season Unbeaten
The Demon Deacons (13-0-4, 4-0-2 ACC) have one last hurdle standing between them and an undefeated regular season. That hurdle is Georgia Southern (2-14-2, 1-5-2 SoCon) and the teams will meet on Saturday night at Spry Stadium.
Wake Forest is ranked number one in all major national polls this week with a school record 17-game unbeaten streak. The Deacons have already wrapped up the number one seed in next week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Georgia Southern travels to Winston-Salem with a 2-14-2 mark. After winning its season opener at NC State, 2-1, the Eagles have picked up just one win, against VMI on September 28.
Wake Forest and Georgia Southern have played four common opponents this season, most recently Davidson. The Eagles tied the Wildcats in Davidson, 1-1, on October 19. On Tuesday, the Deacons beat Davidson 4-0.
This will be the first time Georgia Southern and Wake Forest have met on the soccer field.
Everyone is on the Deacon Bandwagon
The Demon Deacons made room for another national poll on its bandwagon this week as the NSCAA gave Wake Forest the nod for the first time this season. Soccer Times was the first poll to get on board on October 21 and Soccer America followed suit on October 28.
Wake Forest has spent 17 straight weeks in the top 25, in the top five of at least one poll for the last eight weeks and number one for the last three weeks.
Deacons Capture ACC Regular Season Title; First Round Bye
With a 2-0 victory at Duke last weekend, the Deacons clinched their first ever ACC regular season title. Wake Forest finished 4-0-2 in the conference with ties against Clemson and UNC.
The Deacons earn a critical first round bye in the ACC Tourmament and will start play in the semifinal round on Friday, November 15 against the winner of Duke and Virginia. The tournament is being held at the SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C., where the Deacons defeated NC State in October.
The team with the first round bye has advanced to the final nine of the last ten years and has won the tournament in three of the last four years, seven of 15 times overall.
Stellar at Spry
The Deacons have played especially well at home this season with a 7-0-1 record, outscoring opponents 26-4 at Spry Stadium. At home, Wake Forest has dominated its non-conference opponents with a 5-0 record, scoring 19 goals while allowing just one. Since 1998, the Deacons are 24-3-2 at home against non-conference opponents.
Saving the Best for Last
The Demon Deacons have outscored their opponents 27-3 in the second half this season, only allowing goals to Virginia, Old Dominion and North Carolina. One possible explanation is that Wake Forest wears down its opponents with its deep bench and possession style of play.
The Deacons have scored in the final ten minutes of regulation seven different times this season against SLU, Akron, Richmond, William & Mary, South Carolina, Elon and Duke.
Last Men Standing
With Coastal Carolina's mid-week loss, the Deacons are the nation's last unbeaten team. A win over Georgia Southern would give Wake Forest an undefeated record through the regular season.
Although it would certainly be an impressive feat, it would be a little early to put the Deacons in a class with the NFL's 1972 Miami Dolphins or college basketball's 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Many teams have entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated. Since 1989, ten teams have done it but only the 1989 Santa Clara team was able to go on to win a national championship.
Carroll Named M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Finalist
Junior midfielder Brian Carroll was named a finalist for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, soccer's answer to the Heisman Trophy. Carroll is the first Deacon ever to earn the honor.
Up Next:
The Demon Deacons advance directly to Friday's semifinal of the ACC Tournament where they await the winner of Duke and Virginia. Kickoff at 5:30 p.m. at the SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C.
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