Sports > October 30, 2008

By Gary Pasqualicchio | Staff writer

The Wake Forest Lady Deacons soccer team split a pair of crucial ACC matchups defeating N.C. State 2-1 at home Oct. 23 before dropping a game on the road to Miami 1-0 three days later.

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Junior Bess Harrington fights for the ball during a home game. Wake has two games left; one at Virginia Tech on Oct. 30 and one at UVA on Nov. 2. (Mary Kate Wagner/Old Gold & Black)

Heading into the final four games of ACC play, Coach Tony da Luz said he thought his team could win all four.

He’ll have to settle for three out of four at best after the setback to the Hurricanes.

To open up the first of an important four game conference stretch, the Lady Deacs hosted the Wolfpack of N.C. State at Spry Stadium.

Wake Forest was looking to improve on ACC Tournament seeding, and the last-place Wolfpack were looking to avenge a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Deacs last season.

The Lady Deacs dominated play in the first half, outshooting N.C. State 11-2, but they had nothing to show for it as the teams headed into the half tied at 0-0.

Freshman Taylor Norman, inserted at forward, had the team’s best opportunity when her shot hit the post.

At the 50th minute mark, the game, and perhaps the season for the Lady Deacons, was saved by an unlikely hero.

Junior Bess Harrington poked in a corner kick from fellow junior Jill Hutchinson to give the Deacons a 1-0 lead.

The goal was the first of her collegiate career and could not have come at a better time for the Deacs. Hutchinson came up big again for Wake Forest when she took advantage of a Wolfpack turnover in their zone and turned it into a goal to pad the Deacon lead at 2-0.

Although N.C. State scored at the 85th minute mark to cut the lead to 2-1, the Deacs held on for the win.

The win improved the team’s all-time mark against N.C. State to 11-5-1 including a win in 11 of the last 12 meetings.

The excitement of the win turned to disappointment in just three days for Wake Forest thanks to a tough Miami Hurricane squad.

Brittney MacDonald of the Canes tallied in the first half and that was all Miami needed in a 1-0 shutout win at Cobb Stadium.

The Lady Deacs outshot the Canes 11-9 and took five early corner kicks to Miami’s one in the first half.

However, that one was all it took as MacDonald headed it past junior goalkeeper Laura Morse for the winning score.

Morse made three saves in the loss, which was the first in Wake Forest history against Miami as they drop their overall record to 4-1 in the series.

The team will look to rebound as they currently sit at seventh in the ACC with a 3-5 conference record. The top eight teams make the ACC Tournament on Nov. 5.

The Deacs could likely get in with a split in the next two ACC games, but they don’t want to take that chance.

The Deacons will play both of their remaining ACC games in the state of Virginia; at Virginia Tech on Oct. 30 and then at Virginia on Nov. 2.

Virginia Tech is currently one spot above the Deacons at sixth in the ACC. Virgina currently sits at third in the standings.