Sports > September 25, 2008

By Connor Swarbrick | Sports editor

Another week meant two more wins, in dominating fashion, for the top-ranked defending National Champions, who move to 7-0 on the season. That mark ties the best start to a season in school history. The 2007 team also opened the season with seven consecutive victories.

click to enlarge

Freshman Sam Redmond kicks the ball in a recent home game. The No. 1 Deacons will travel to Maryland Sept. 26 to play at 8 p.m. and will then go to Elon to play a game Oct. 1. (Kelly Makepeace/Old Gold & Black)

The Deacons also extended their impressive unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents to 34 matches, the longest such streak in college soccer. Wake Forest last lost to a non-ACC opponent on Nov. 26, 2005, when California defeated the Deacs 3-2 in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

When the Deacons hit the road for the first time this season they did so in a big way, traveling across the country to face the 2006 national champion No. 24 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Sept. 2.

UC Santa Barbara entered the contest 4-2-0. They are lead by Chris Pontius. He has five goals on the season and Deacon Head Coach Jay Vidovich views him as one of the best attacking players in the country.

The Gauchos jumped on the Deacons early, scoring in just the second minute.

Nick Perera fired a shot from 10 yards out giving his team an early 1-0 advantage and ending junior goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald’s scoreless streak at 401:59.

Wake Forest evened at one apiece when sophomore Corben Bone scored his second goal of the season with 48 seconds left in the half. Senior Marcus Tracy passed the ball to Bone on the left side of the field, and he blasted a shot that found the back of the net.

Vidovich was disappointed in the early goal against, but felt his team responded well, by scoring late in the first half and propelling his team to play attacking soccer in the second half.

Five minutes into the second half the Deacons grabbed the lead and quieted the crowd when Bone crossed the ball from the left side of the field to sophomore defender Ike Opara. Opara headed the ball into the net to make the score 2-1.

Senior midfielder Sam Cronin extended the lead just seven minutes later when Tracy fed him the ball in the center of the box. He beat the Gauchos goalkeeper from about 12 yards out to push the advantage to 3-1. The goal for Cronin was his second of the season, while Tracy added his second assist of the game and third of the season.

Tracy made it 4-1 when he scored his sixth goal in as many games in the 67th minute. With a three-on-one advantage, Bone played a pass to Tracy who found the back of the net.

Freshman Luke Norman got involved when he scored the first goal of his collegiate career at the 69th minute to give the Deacs a 5-1 advantage.

But the Gauchos weren’t done yet. Pontius cut the lead to 5-2 in the 78th minute off a free kick from the center of the field.

Freshman Sam Redmond put the game away for the Deacs when he too scored his first career goal. The goal in the 87th minute put the Deacons up 6-2

Bone’s goal and two assists earned him Soccer America’s Team of the Week and College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week honors.

The Deacons returned home to face Appalachian State. Sept. 24.

The Mountaineers entered the contest with a 5-1-0 record after opening the season with four victories, before dropping a 2-1 decision at High Point.

During the first half, Norman scored the Deacon’s only goal of the game. The Deacs beat Appalachian State 1-0, moving them to an overall record of 7-0.

Wake Forest looks to improve to a school record 8-0 when they travel to Maryland Sept. 26. The game will be televised on the Fox Soccer Channel.

Following their match with the Terps the Deacons will travel to Elon Oct. 1.