Dec. 12, 2007

Final Four Notes in PDF Format

Fast Facts
- Semifinal vs. Virginia Tech @ 5 p.m. at SAS Soccer Park in Cary.
- Televised Nationally on ESPN2
- Tickets available through host school NC State here.

CARY, N.C. - After advancing to the College Cup for the first time in school history in 2006, the Demon Deacons have returned to the Final Four for a second consecutive season. The second-seeded Deacs are the only team in this year's top four that have made it to the semifinals in the past.

Wake Forest (20-2-2) is currently in the midst of its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh consecutive showing. Overall the Demon Deacons are 12-9-2 in tourney play with wins this year over Furman (1-0), West Virginia (3-1) and Notre Dame (1-0).

On Friday, the Demon Deacons will face conference rival Virginia Tech at 5 p.m. The No. 11-seed Hokies (14-3-5) posted an upset over 3-seed Connecticut in the quarterfinals on UConn soil. Patrick Nyarko scored his seventh goal of the season in the 22nd minute and the Huskies were unable to follow with a tying score.

Nyarko also came up big when the Hokies fought through a two-goal deficit to tie the Demon Deacons during regular season play on October 5. Sam Cronin and Corben Bone netted first half goals for Wake Forest in Blacksburg, but just 70 seconds into second half play, Hokie Robert Edmans slipped one past goalkeeper Brian Edwards. Cronin landed his second goal of the night in the 54th minute to return to the Deacs to a two goal lead (3-1), but Edmands and Nyarko teamed up for back-to-back goals, sending the game into overtime.

Wake Forest out-shot the Hokies 4-1 through 20 minutes of overtime, but both teams ended the extra minutes without a goal.

Virginia Tech was one of only two teams to battle the Demon Deacons to a draw during 2007. Just three days before the Blacksburg contest, local rival Elon tied Wake 1-1 at Spry Stadium.

SAS Soccer Park, home of the North Carolina Railhawks (United Soccer League), has hosted the Demon Deacons numerous times since its May 2002 opening. Five ACC tournaments have taken place on the SAS pitch, including the 2007 tourney November 14-18. The Deacs are 5-5-0 all-time on the field, with two recent wins at the conference finale over Clemson (3-1) and North Carolina (1-0), and a loss to BC in the finals (2-1).

In the second semifinal contest 45 minutes following the Wake Forest/Virginia Tech matchup, Ohio State (16-3-5) and the University of Massachusetts (17-7-1) will battle on ESPNU.

Wake Forest leads the Buckeyes 4-0-0 all-time, but has only faced the team twice in the last decade. In 2006 at the Carolina Nike Classic in Chapel Hill, where the Demon Deacons edged a 3-2 overtime win. Graduated senior Steve Curfman scored the first two goals while current junior defender Lyle Adams landed the game-winner in the 103rd minute.

Wake Forest has never faced the Atlantic-10 champion UMass, who is enjoying the best post-season in program history. In only their second NCAA tourney berth, the Minutemen knocked out No. 1 seed Boston College 2-1 in the second round. The BC Eagles have been the only team to defeat the Demon Deacons in 2007, edging Wake 1-0 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. and 2-1 at the ACC Tournament finals in Cary.

The winners of the semifinals will battle for the national title at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be televised nationally on EPSN2.