Sports > November 15, 2007

By Andrew LeRay | Staff writer

The push for an ACC championship continues as the Deacons scored two late goals to knock off the No. 7 seeded Clemson Tigers Nov. 14.

The Deacon men’s soccer team wrapped up its regular season Nov. 9 with a 3-1 victory over the visiting Virginia Cavaliers.

Wake struck early against the Cavaliers, as junior Michael Lahoud found the net in the fifth minute. Lahoud’s unassisted goal was his fourth on the season.

The Deacons scored again in the 35th minute when sophomore Zach Schilawski scored on a pass from Lahoud. The goal was Schilawski’s seventh of the year.

Virginia cut the deficit in half shortly before halftime when sophomore Ross LaBaeux connected from long range to regain some momentum going into the second half. Wake added an insurance goal in the 70th minute when junior Lyle Adams scored after grabbing a free kick from junior Sam Cronin.

With the win, Wake Forest finishes the regular season with a 15-1-2 overall record and a 6-1-1 record in the ACC.

“It’s always nice to have momentum going into the tournament,” said senior Pat Phelan of the three game winning streak the Deacons bring into the first round of the ACC tournament against Clemson.

The 15 wins are the most in a single regular season in the program’s history. The Deacs earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, finishing only two points behind No. 1-seed Boston College.

“Coach (Vidovich) has called our season a ‘dry-run’ up until now,” Phelan said. “Now we really have to focus on the little details because we don’t know if we will play the next day.”

Thanks to two Wake Forest goals in the last two minutes against Clemson Nov. 14, the Deacons will indeed live to play another day. Sophomore Cody Arnoux struck first in the 37th minute, giving the Deacons a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

Clemson junior Michael Brooks evened the score at one in the 71st minute, and the score remained tied deep into the game.

Senior co-captain Julian Valentin scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute, off an assist from Cronin. An insurance goal was added with only 55 second remaining in regulation by junior Marcus Tracy off an assist from Arnoux.

The Deacons return to action Nov. 16 against Duke in Cary, N.C.