Wake Forest kept rolling Sunday night at Spry Stadium, and NC State never really found a way to slow it down.
The fourth-ranked Demon Deacons beat the Wolfpack 3-1 in women’s soccer, stretching their home unbeaten run to 43 games. It was also the second half that made the difference for Wake Forest, which scored all three of its goals after the break.
Sierra Syzeth finished with the game-winner in the second half for the Demon Deacons. In all, Wake Forest got goals from Syzeth, Valentina Amaral and a penalty kick from the 13th minute. Four minutes later, Jola Ressler converted the insurance goal off assists from Allie Flanagan and Riley Cross.
“It’s a little rusty from the two week and gave us a difficult challenge. We had some good stretches but were most effective on counterattack,” Duke said.
“I’m happy for Bempsey (Brown) and Valentina (Amaral) to win on their senior night. Being 8-1 in the ACC and 14-1 overall puts us close to our goal of a championship.”
Wake Forest took a 1-0 lead early when Flanagan scored on a penalty kick in the 13th minute in front of just over 1,000 at Spry Stadium. The Demon Deacons then made it 2-0 four minutes later, with Ressler scoring the insurance goal after the assists from Flanagan and Cross.
NC State answered with its lone goal in the second half, but Wake Forest finished the night with the 3-1 victory.
The Demon Deacons will hit the road to play at Miami on Saturday at 1 p.m.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Is Giving Fans A Real Reason To Demand Respect
Wake Forest has spent the first month of the season building a rsum that looks better than the attention it has gotten. The Demon Deacons are 4-1, they pushed a top-ranked opponent in a close loss, and they already have a road win over a ranked team. Add in the kind of offensive numbers and conference blowout that usually get a program noticed, and it is easy to see why there is a growing sense around Winston-Salem that the respect has not caught up with the results.
The gap is even harder to ignore because the Deacons have not exactly been perfect in other areas, with discipline issues still part of the conversation. Still, teams that play a quality schedule, beat ranked competition away from home, and keep stacking wins generally earn a spot in the Top 25 conversation. Wake Forest has done enough to make people look twice, and now the question is how long it can keep performing this way before the national polls finally have to acknowledge it. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Wake Forest Rivalry Test Just Got A Tougher Feel
The calendar just got a little more interesting for Wake Forest, which now knows its trip to NC State will come on Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon ET from Carter-Finley Stadium. The ACC also set the rivalry matchup for The CW, adding another layer to a game that already carries plenty of familiarity and history.
It will be the 119th meeting between the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack, with NC State holding the edge in the all-time series. Wake Forest heads into it coming off a strong win against Stanford, while the Wolfpack sit at 3-2, giving this one a little more bite than a typical early-October conference date. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forests Womens Golf Pipeline Just Delivered Another Huge Milestone
Rachel Kuehns path from Wake Forest standout to the professional ranks has moved another step forward, giving the Demon Deacons a fresh reason to take pride in what their womens golf program keeps producing. Kuehn won eight times at Wake Forest and was part of the schools 2023 national championship team, a run that already made her one of the most accomplished players in program history. Now, after earning her way onto the LPGA Tour through her work on the Epson Tour, she is set to become a rookie on the big stage in 2027.
For Wake Forest, it is another reminder that the pipeline from Winston-Salem to elite golf is not just a talking point. Kuehns rise through the developmental circuit shows the kind of steady progression that can turn college stardom into a lasting pro career, and it adds another notable name to a program that has built real credibility at the highest levels of the womens game. The next step will be seeing how she translates that success once her LPGA journey officially begins. [Read more 🡒]