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Deacons roll into soccer's College Cup
Journal Photo by Bruce Chapman
Cody Arnoux of Wake Forest kicks the ball to teammate Lyle Adams (3) who scores in the 21st minute. Arnoux finished with three assists.
By Michael Graff
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL (Winston Salem)
Published: December 7, 2008
The scene was familiar to fans of the Wake Forest men's soccer team yesterday: one goal, followed by another, followed by another. Finally, someone in the Spry Stadium crowd stood and yelled what the other 2,300 or so in attendance were already thinking.
"Here we go again," he shouted.
And there the Deacons went again.
Off to another goal. Off to another blowout victory. Off to another trip to the final four.
Wake Forest shredded another opponent yesterday, rolling over South Florida 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to gain a third straight trip to the College Cup.
Four of the goals were scored by seniors, part of a class that went 44-4 at home in their careers and are seeking their second NCAA title in a row.
Afterward, the seniors led a team procession in front of the stands, as players waved and thanked the 2,319 who bundled up and came out on a cold Saturday confident that the Deacons would be off to another College Cup.
"We were just soaking in the moment," said Lyle Adams, one of eight Wake Forest seniors.
Wake Forest (21-1-1) will join North Carolina and Maryland later this week in Frisco, Texas, giving the ACC three teams in soccer's final four. The Deacons and Tar Heels will play on Friday in one semifinal; Maryland will play St. Johns in the other.
Wake Forest won the first meeting with UNC 4-2 on Nov. 1, as part of an unbeaten ACC regular season. But it lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to Virginia.
"Maybe this is a way for us to redeem the fact that we didn't win the ACC championship," Coach Jay Vidovich of Wake Forest said.
Here's the scary thing for the other three schools headed to Texas: Wake Forest, the No. 1 team in the country, the defending national champion, the offensive powerhouse that has 81 goals in 23 games this year, seems to still be getting better.
A week ago Wake Forest trounced Dartmouth 7-0 in the rain. Yesterday, with a few snow flurries sweeping through, it was more of the same.
The Deacons scored back-to-back goals in the 14th and 15th minutes against No. 8 South Florida (15-5-3).
Jamie Franks scored the first, drilling a shot to the right corner 14 minutes into the game. And Sam Cronin, a Mount Tabor graduate and Wake Forest's career leader in games played and started, scored the second by firing a loose ball from outside the box into the left side of the net.
"All year, when they get one (goal) on teams, they have been known to get a second one pretty quickly after that," Coach George Kiefer of South Florida said. "They're very good at pressuring you."
Five minutes after Cronin's goal, Adams got his third goal of the season.
Then, with 16 minutes remaining, fellow senior Marcus Tracy took a crossing pass from Corben Bone and finished it. In less than 15 minutes, Wake Forest had scored four goals against a South Florida team that had allowed more than two only one other time this year.
"Right after a goal is the time to press and set a tone," Cronin said. "We're not going to let our foot off the pedal."
The seniors let their teammates join the scoring parade in the second half, as Zack Schilawski scored on an assist from fellow junior Cody Arnoux with 30 minutes left.
Arnoux, a junior and Wake Forest's leading scorer, had three assists.
Keeper Akira Fitzgerald locked up his 13th shutout this season, tying a school record.
All that remained were a few waves and smiles for the fans, and then the Deacons were off into the tunnel and out of Spry Stadium, headed for another College Cup.
Journal Photo by Bruce ChapmanCody Arnoux of Wake Forest kicks the ball to teammate Lyle Adams (3) who scores in the 21st minute. Arnoux finished with three assists.
By Michael Graff
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL (Winston Salem)
Published: December 7, 2008
The scene was familiar to fans of the Wake Forest men's soccer team yesterday: one goal, followed by another, followed by another. Finally, someone in the Spry Stadium crowd stood and yelled what the other 2,300 or so in attendance were already thinking.
"Here we go again," he shouted.
And there the Deacons went again.
Off to another goal. Off to another blowout victory. Off to another trip to the final four.
Wake Forest shredded another opponent yesterday, rolling over South Florida 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to gain a third straight trip to the College Cup.
Four of the goals were scored by seniors, part of a class that went 44-4 at home in their careers and are seeking their second NCAA title in a row.
Afterward, the seniors led a team procession in front of the stands, as players waved and thanked the 2,319 who bundled up and came out on a cold Saturday confident that the Deacons would be off to another College Cup.
"We were just soaking in the moment," said Lyle Adams, one of eight Wake Forest seniors.
Wake Forest (21-1-1) will join North Carolina and Maryland later this week in Frisco, Texas, giving the ACC three teams in soccer's final four. The Deacons and Tar Heels will play on Friday in one semifinal; Maryland will play St. Johns in the other.
Wake Forest won the first meeting with UNC 4-2 on Nov. 1, as part of an unbeaten ACC regular season. But it lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to Virginia.
"Maybe this is a way for us to redeem the fact that we didn't win the ACC championship," Coach Jay Vidovich of Wake Forest said.
Here's the scary thing for the other three schools headed to Texas: Wake Forest, the No. 1 team in the country, the defending national champion, the offensive powerhouse that has 81 goals in 23 games this year, seems to still be getting better.
A week ago Wake Forest trounced Dartmouth 7-0 in the rain. Yesterday, with a few snow flurries sweeping through, it was more of the same.
The Deacons scored back-to-back goals in the 14th and 15th minutes against No. 8 South Florida (15-5-3).
Jamie Franks scored the first, drilling a shot to the right corner 14 minutes into the game. And Sam Cronin, a Mount Tabor graduate and Wake Forest's career leader in games played and started, scored the second by firing a loose ball from outside the box into the left side of the net.
"All year, when they get one (goal) on teams, they have been known to get a second one pretty quickly after that," Coach George Kiefer of South Florida said. "They're very good at pressuring you."
Five minutes after Cronin's goal, Adams got his third goal of the season.
Then, with 16 minutes remaining, fellow senior Marcus Tracy took a crossing pass from Corben Bone and finished it. In less than 15 minutes, Wake Forest had scored four goals against a South Florida team that had allowed more than two only one other time this year.
"Right after a goal is the time to press and set a tone," Cronin said. "We're not going to let our foot off the pedal."
The seniors let their teammates join the scoring parade in the second half, as Zack Schilawski scored on an assist from fellow junior Cody Arnoux with 30 minutes left.
Arnoux, a junior and Wake Forest's leading scorer, had three assists.
Keeper Akira Fitzgerald locked up his 13th shutout this season, tying a school record.
All that remained were a few waves and smiles for the fans, and then the Deacons were off into the tunnel and out of Spry Stadium, headed for another College Cup.
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