Sports > September 4, 2008

By Phillip Brame | Contributing writer

The No. 15-ranked Wake Forest women’s soccer team notched two shutouts over Labor Day weekend, defeating Francis Marion 3-0 Aug. 29 before returning home to defeat UNC-Wilmington 5-0 Aug. 31 at Spry Stadium. Head Coach Tony da Luz was pleased with his team’s performance, especially with the pair of clean sheets registered by his goalkeepers, starting sophomore Amanda Barasha and junior Laura Morse.

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Junior Caitlin Farrell goes for the ball in a home game against Vanderbilt, Aug. 19. The Deacs travel to Blacksburg, Va., to play in the Hawthorne Suites Hokie Invitational. (Allison Lange/Old Gold & Black)

The first away match of the 2008 campaign saw the Lady Deacs travel to Marion, S.C. to face the Patriots of Francis Marion University.

Junior forward Jill Hutchinson led the offensive attack for Wake, scoring in the 13th minute assisted by fellow junior Sarah Winslow. Junior defender Caitlin Ferrell doubled the margin in the 39th minute to give the Lady Deacs a two goal cushion at the close of the first half. In the second half, Hutchinson turned from scorer to provider, assisting on a goal by junior Allie Sadow to push the final margin to 3-0.

The match on Aug. 31 against in-state foe UNC-Wilmington resulted in an offensive explosion by the Lady Deacs, lead by three goals from Winslow and contributions from Hutchinson and Sadow to give the Lady Deacs a 5-0 victory. An uneasy start to the match saw UNC-W create two good scoring chances in the first 10 minutes, striking the right post with the first shot on goal of the match. After the opening minutes the defense, lead by junior center-backs Bess Harrington and Caitlin Ferrell, controlled the flow of the game and allowed the Deacs to find their rhythm offensively. In the 15th minute, Hutchinson opened the scoring after her shot deflected off the UNC-W keeper before settling into the back of the net after a failed scramble to clear the ball by the Seahawk defense.

Winslow scored her first goal of the game in the 32nd minute after Hutchinson found senior midfielder Amanda Lebo on the left wing.

Lebo dribbled unopposed into the box and slotted a pass past the keeper to Winslow for the easy goal to close the first half with Wake leading 2-0.

“It was a great ball by Lebo,” Winslow said. “Mid-swing I was like ‘You better not miss this.’”

Seven minutes into the second half Sadow notched her third goal of the season after a well-placed cross from senior midfielder Camelyn Dillon. Winslow would add two more goals in the 69th and 79th minute to close the scoring.

Winslow, a Wilson, N.C., native, completed the hat trick as a back pass from a UNC-W defender drew the keeper some twenty yards out of the goal. Winslow closed on the keeper and the resulting clearance rebounded sharply off Winslow’s back and into the goal.

“She’s probably most likely to score that type of goal,” da Luz said. “She always pressures the keeper in those situations.”

The season continues as the team takes part in the Hawthorne Suites Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech. Wake will face George Washington Aug. 5 before facing No. 11 Texas A&M.

For da Luz, the weekend was a chance to simulate the schedule for the opening rounds of the NCAA.

“That’s a very likely play-off scenario with a George Washington type team in the first round and then a very good team like (Texas) A&M in the second round,” he said.