Recap: Wake Forest Men’s Soccer Takes Dramatic Victory at NC State
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6–2–1, 3–1 ACC) earned a priceless conference victory Friday night, defeating the NC State Wolfpack (3–3–3, 1–2–1) in Raleigh by a 2–1 score. With the win, the Deacs moved up to second place in the ACC standings, although several of the teams behind them have a game in hand and could match or better their 9-point haul with wins this weekend. For the Pack, it is another result they could ill afford, as last year’s national runners-up sit firmly outside the tournament field as things stand with a difficult run of games ahead. It was the 24th straight game without a win for the Pack against the Deacs, with the streak of futility now stretching to 21 full years. They’ll be bitterly disappointed that yesterday was not the streak breaker, as State had much of the ball and created a lot of the danger, but, in the end, Wake created higher quality chances and took them. They almost let it slip through their fingers at the end, but another dramatic late goal was enough for the Deacs get back on I-40 with a big win against a rival.
Lineups
NC State (4–4–2 Diamond)
GK: Samuel Terranova
RB: Josh Gordon
CB: Oriol Comas
CB: Malcolm Rangon
LB: Riley Moloney
CDM: Tyler Caton ©
CM: Caden Tolentino ©
CM: Erik Peña
CAM: Aidan Payne
ST: Russell Berko
ST: Austin Bush
Coach: Marc Hubbard
Wake Forest (4–3–3)
GK: Owen Barnett
RB: Travis Smith Jr.
CB: Daniel Krueger
CB: Mason Sullivan
LB: Ronnie Garcia
CM: David Nguema
CM: Jose Perez
CAM: Jeffrey White ©
RW: Tate Lorentz
ST: Joby Reid
LW: Chandler Young
Coach: Dane Brenner (Temporary)
The Match
The Deacs were without one major on-field piece and one major off-field piece. Starting goalkeeper Jonah Mednard is with the Haitian national team for the next couple of weeks for the international window, which thrust redshirt sophomore Owen Barnett into the net for his first career start. Head coach Bobby Muuss also missed out on the game in Raleigh, as he was suspended due to receiving a red card at the end of the Deacs’ last game against Virginia. This left longtime assistant coach Dane Brenner as the person in charge of this Wake side for this game, while Muuss will return to the sidelines in Wake’s next game against Loyola Chicago. The Wolfpack, meanwhile, added a player back into their lineup, as left back Riley Moloney was inserted back into the starting eleven after missing out on State’s last game against #3 SMU.
Get Chris Amaral’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
State started well and had possession of the ball for much of the first half, but they struggled to break down the Deacs. However, defensively, the Pack looked very susceptible on the counterattack, with Wake looking liable to score nearly every time they crossed midfield. In the 14th minute, the Deacs were able to work the ball from the left side of the field all the way over to the opposite flank, which allowed winger Tate Lorentz space to run into. Lorentz did well to cut inside onto his left foot and send a shot goalwards, but Samuel Terranova made the save at his near post to deny the Deacs. In the 16th minute, Wake was off and running again, with a clearance from their own box from Tate Lorentz finding the feet of forward Joby Reid, who glided past a challenge from center back Malcolm Rangon just past midfield, which left center back Oriol Comas as the only player between Reid and the goal. Comas got the better of the exchange, though, winning the ball from Reid inside the area to snuff out the danger. However, in the 21st minute, the Deacs struck. Once again, the Pack were caught on the counter, as a poor set piece delivery from State gave Wake an opportunity to go the other way. The Deacs’ clearance was brought down by Joby Reid, who played it to Jeffrey White on his right a few yards behind the halfway line. White had two runners striding into the State end, both of whom were held onside by defensive midfielder Tyler Caton. He picked out winger Chandler Young with a long ball along the ground, and Young made the Pack pay, controlling the ball, taking a touch into the area, and sliding it past Terranova, off the base of the far post, and into the net for his third goal of the season, giving Wake the lead.
Immediately following the goal, Wake almost surrendered the lead from kickoff, as a long ball from State led to a header back towards goal from Daniel Krueger, which he intended to go wide of the net or into the arms of Owen Barnett. However, it got past Barnett and hit the post, then bounced back in front of the goal, where it looked for all the world that Pack forward Russell Berko would tap it in to tie the game, but Krueger got back into the play and challenged the shot, which Berko ended up lifting over the bar from very close range. In the last 25 minutes of the first half, the Pack found a way to create chances against the Deacs: set pieces. Between corner kicks, free kicks, and even long throw ins, State suddenly looked like they could score at any moment. A couple of substitutions turned the tide in the game towards the Wolfpack, with long throw specialist midfielder/defender Nakai Antoine and midfielder Ervin Cruz having huge impacts. In the 28th minute, they almost linked up for a goal, with a long throw from Antoine bouncing around in the Wake box before falling to Cruz in space near the penalty spot, but he got his shot all wrong and put it wide. In the 30th minute, it was a corner kick that nearly got the Pack back in the game, as left back Riley Moloney sent a brilliant ball in that found the head of right back Josh Gordon, but Gordon couldn’t direct his header on frame from close range. On the proceeding goal kick, State nearly tied the score again, as a turnover while playing out from right back Travis Smith Jr. allowed Russell Berko an opportunity to shoot from distance, but Owen Barnett made a big stop at his near post to preserve the lead.
The State barrage continued until, finally, it looked like they had their equalizer. In the 38th minute, Wake couldn’t get a long throw in clear, with the ball bouncing around before falling to Josh Gordon at the near post, who lashed a shot goalwards from a tight angle. It struck the crossbar and went back into play, with Russell Berko putting the ball down and playing it back outside to Riley Moloney on the left flank. Moloney played a ball back into the area that Barnett punched clear, but Berko kept the play alive again, getting a touch on the ball before it could be claimed by a Wake player, which allowed midfielder Caden Tolentino to settle it and strike a shot from distance that snuck past Barnett to tie the game. However, the Wake players pleaded with the officials that the goal be ruled out for a handball, which prompted a video review challenge from Dane Brenner. With a second look at the play, the officials were able to determine that, after the initial shot from Josh Gordon, Russell Berko trapped the ball with his hand, which led to the goal being ruled out. It was a relatively uneventful half afterwards, although there was another video review challenge, this time coming from the State side. After play was stopped for a foul NC State, Pack center back Oriol Comas went down away from the play after a clash with substitute forward Pariss Mitchell. State coach Marc Hubbard thought there was a potential red card offense committed by Mitchell, so he used one of his video review challenges to send the official to the monitor. After a second look, the officials came back and gave Mitchell a card, but it was a yellow for putting his forearm into the face of Comas while trying to hold him off. Regardless, when the whistle blew, it was a one-goal lead for the Deacs at the break.
In the second half both coaches made some adjustments. For the Deacs, they were much stronger defending the long throws and set plays sent in by the Pack. For the Pack, however, they looked much stronger with the ball at their feet and more dangerous through open play. In the first minute of the second half, they had a golden opportunity to tie the game. It was brilliant play from Ervin Cruz, who spun substitute right back Copeland Berkley and came loose down the wing, sending a ball across that was deflected by a Wake player into the path of substitute forward Cameron Letterlough just outside the 6 yard box, but, somehow, Owen Barnett got over and made a brilliant save to deny the Pack and keep Wake in front. It was all hands on deck for Wake, who spent most of the second half defending, but defending well. They weren’t nearly as dangerous on the break as they had been in the first half, which gave State more license to come forward and chase the equalizer. Despite some better passages of possession for the Pack in the second half, their inability to create the same danger on set pieces looked like it would keep them from getting back into the game. That was until the 82nd minute, when, finally, they found their route back in. Wake were hoisted with their own petard, as they were caught with numbers up the field when Jeffrey White was stripped of the ball just outside the State area, allowing Tyler Caton to play it ahead to Ervin Cruz in space just behind midfield. Cruz surveyed the options ahead and saw attacking midfielder Austin Payne in space against center back Mason Sullivan. Cruz played it over the top to Payne, who brought the ball down and tucked it into the side netting for his second goal of the season, tying the game.
From there, it seemed like Wake would have to weather another big storm in the game’s closing minutes to preserve a draw in this game. However, in the 87th minute, it was yet more late drama for the Deacs. Wake won a long ball up the field from the Pack defense, which, after a header up the field from the Deacs, was brought down by substitute midfielder Henry Rosenfeld, who dribbled towards the right sideline and then curled a ball in behind while falling to the turf intended for forward Pariss Mitchell. It wound up being a brilliant ball that center back Oriol Comas just couldn’t flag down. Mitchell beat Comas to the ball and found himself one on one with Samuel Terranova with a chance to win the game. Mitchell took a peek over his back shoulder and saw Jeffrey White all by himself, barreling towards the box behind him. He took it into the area and played it back inside to White, who gave Terranova the eyes and side footed it past him for his third goal of the season, giving Wake the lead with just 3 minutes left to go of the 90. State pushed on for an equalizer, but, besides a bit of pushing and shoving between both sets of players after Wake center back Daniel Krueger and Wolfpack midfielder Austin Payne got into it, there was no further excitement. For the second straight game, the Deacs let a lead slip in the second half, and, for the second straight game, they took the lead back at the very end.
Player of the Match
Through 86 minutes of play, it would have been a really tough decision for player of the match. Ervin Cruz was a game changer for the Pack, assisting the game tying goal. Daniel Krueger was brilliant defensively for the Deacs, snuffing out danger both in open play and on set plays. Henry Rosenfeld was excellent in a brief cameo appearance off the bench for the Deacs. And, of course, both goalscorers, Austin Payne and Chandler Young, would have warranted a mention. However, with an assist and the game’s winning goal in the 87th, only Jeffrey White could have been the player of the match. White has taken a huge step forward since getting the captain’s armband this year, posting 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 games this season after 4 goals and 5 assists in his previous 57 career games. He has already equaled his goal total from last season and surpassed his assist total, and, with just under half the season to go, he can contribute plenty more.
Next Match
It will be a quick turnaround for the Deacs, as they return to action on Tuesday at Spry against Loyola Chicago (5–2–2, 0–1 A10). The Ramblers were off to a hot start to the season, posting a 5–0–2 record in their first 7 games, but are now reeling after back to back shutout losses to UIC and to Fordham in their A10 opener. At the time of writing, they are hosting George Washington and are still tied 0–0, so they will be hoping to get back on track with a big win today. It has been tough sledding for the Ramblers of late, as they have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and have posted losing seasons both of the last two years after back to back winning seasons in the first two years of head coach Steve Bode’s tenure. That said, it’s been a much more positive start to this season, and they’ve been a much better attacking outfit this season than last, scoring 14 goals in 9 games after 17 in 16 games last season. A large part of that has been down to the performance of their two top returners, forward Arved von Vegesack and attacking midfielder Luka Ivancic, who have combined for 5 goals and 7 assists this season. Both players are seasoned college players, with 81 games of experience between them, and they can be as dangerous through open play as they are on dead balls, which have proven to be a challenge for the Deacs to defend. Wake will certainly hope to stay on track against the Ramblers after some great ACC performances the last two weeks, especially with a showdown against #3 SMU looming large next weekend, but this Loyola team can certainly offer some surprises.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM on Tuesday, 9/29. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX/ESPN+.
