BERKELEY, Calif. – Fresh off their third ranked win to start conference play, the No. 3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons begin a two-game road trip starting this Thursday, Sept. 17th against the Cal Golden Bears.<\/p>\n
The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.\u00a0ET and will be streamed live on ACCNX<\/a> with live stats available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Need to Know – Game 9 Last Time Out
\nShutdown and Shutout\u00a0 Sythe of All Trades Department of Defense Finder’s Keepers Midfield Mania Quick Hitters
\nSeries History vs. Cal<\/p>\n
\nScouting the Golden Bears<\/p>\n
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\nNo. 3 Wake Forest (8-0) vs. Cal (2-3-3)
\nThursday, Sept. 17 2026\u00a0 – 47PM ET\u00a0 – ACCNX<\/a>
\nBerkeley, Calif. \u2013 Edwards Stadium<\/p>\n
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\n\tFighting through rain and a weather delay, the No. 3 Wake Forest women’s soccer team (8-0-0, 1-0-0 ACC) took down the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers\u00a0 (4-1-2, ACC 0-1-0), Saturday night at Spry Stadium.
\n\tThe Cavaliers found early momentum with consecutive corners in the 8th minute.
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\n\t\tVirginia recorded an off-target shot a minute later.
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\n\tSophomore forward Kylie Maxwell<\/a> ran up the slot for a shot on net in the 12th minute.\u00a0
\n\tWake Forest gained pace off a corner that same minute, as grad student forward Henley Tippins<\/a> found senior defender Sammi Wiemann<\/a> for a header, however the goal was offside.\u00a0
\n\tThe two teams battled throughout the first half, as the Deacs kept pressuring into the zone.
\n\tThe contest entered a rain delay, putting action on hold.
\n\tDespite the weather, the Demon Deacons took the lead upon returning back to the field in the 37th minute.
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\n\t\tTippins found K. Maxwell at the top of the box, leaving the sophomore to drill the ball deep into the net.
\n\t\tSophomore forward Allie Flanagan<\/a> also earned an assist on the goal, her first of the season.\u00a0
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\n\tThe Cavaliers called redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral<\/a> into action in the 53rd minute.\u00a0
\n\tAmaral tallied her second save of the night in the 66th minute.\u00a0
\n\tWake Forest’s defense remained solid through Virginia’s attempts into the box and towards the net.\u00a0
\n\tThe Hoos sent a header into the net in the 85th minute, but after review the goal was deemed offsides and Wake Forest maintained their one goal lead.\u00a0
\n\tSenior defender Sammi Wiemann<\/a> made a huge block inside the box to keep the Cavs attempt away from reaching Amaral.\u00a0
\n\tThe Demon Deacons defended into the final minutes and defeated No. 10 Virginia, 1-0.\u00a0
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\nWake Forest ranks third in the nation and first in the ACC with just a single goal 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhether it’s on offense or defense, redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe<\/a> 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 three-game winning goals, and tops the offensive categories for the Deacs. With five goals and 11 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWake Forest’s defense has proven itself as one of the top defenses’ in the country. Redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe<\/a> and senior Sammi Wiemann<\/a> continue to be secure pieces to the defense, with Sythe now on a 43-game start streak. Beyond her defensive skill, Sythe also leads the Deacs offensively across three categories. Sophomore Tahlia Zadeyan<\/a> has settled into her role as centerback, bringing added height to the line. Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown<\/a> 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<\/a> was unstoppable against the Florida Gators helping to limit the Gators to two shots on goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nBeyond the efforts of the Wake Forest defense, the Deacs’ anchors remain a shining element to the Demon Deacons’ game. Redshirt-junior Valentina Amaral<\/a> 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 one 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<\/a> 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 0.952 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).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThe Wake Forest midfield has been a force to fear both at home and on the road. Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a> and junior Amaya Dawkins<\/a>. 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<\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\tThe Demon Deacons are one of two teams in the country that are 8-0 with no ties. The only other team in the NCAA is Boston College.\u00a0
\n\tWake Forest stayed No. 3 on the United Soccer Coaches, and moved up to No. 2 on TopDrawerSoccer.\u00a0
\n\tThe 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.\u00a0
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\n\tHead Coach Tony da Luz<\/a> is in his 30th season with the program, with a 338-205-67 (.609) record in his time with the Deacs.
\n\tAt home, Wake Forest extended their unbeaten streak to 22-games with a shutout against No. 10 Virginia.\u00a0
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\n\tThis Saturday marks the fifth all-time meeting of the two programs.
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\n\t\tThe Deacs are 1-2-1 against the Golden Bears, and 1-1-0 on the road.\u00a0
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\n\tWake Forest and Cal last met at Spry Stadium, resulting in a 2-2 draw.\u00a0
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\n\t\tThe Demon Deacons have not played at Edwards Stadium since 2003.
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\n\tCal is led by head coach Neil McGuire, in his 20th season with the program. McGuire is the all-time wins leader in the program, and has led the Golden Bears to NCAA Tournament appearances in 14 of his 19 seasons.\u00a0
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\n\t\tPrior to his time at California, McGuire served as the head coach at Texas Tech and Mississippi State.\u00a0
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\n\tThe Golden Bears are 2-3-3 this season, with a 2-0-2 mark at home. Their first ACC match was a road contest against North Carolina, resulting in a 0-3 loss.\u00a0
\n\tSenior defender Miriam Hills leads Cal with two goals and four points. Hills has started seven of eight appearances.
\n\tSeniors Reese Doherty and Soleil Dimry have provided one goal a piece for the Bears, both leading their team with six shots on goal.
\n\tJunior Alyssa Savig anchors the Cal backline, playing all but one game this season.\u00a0
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\n\t\tSavig has allowed five goals this season, and tallied two shutouts. She ranks seventh in the ACC with 0.714 goals against average.\u00a0
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\nThe Deacs stay in North Cali and head to Palo Alto to face No. 6 Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 20th. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX<\/a> with live stats available here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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