Sports > October 4, 2007

By Andrew LeRay | Contributing writer

The No.1 Demon Deacons remain unbeaten entering a tough road matchup against ACC opponent Virginia Tech Oct. 5. With a win over the University of Maryland Sept. 29 and a draw against Elon Oct. 2, Wake Forest improved its record to 2-0-0 in conference play, and 7-0-1 overall. The eight game unbeaten streak marks the longest such streak to start a season in the program’s history.

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Junior Sam Cronin dribbles the ball away from a Maryland player in the game Sept. 29. The Deacons shut out the Terrapins 2-0. (Roger Kirkpatrick/Old Gold & Black)

The Deacs defeated the visiting 18th-ranked Maryland Terrapins 2-0 Sept. 29. Sophomore Zack Schilawski came off the bench to score the first goal for the Deacs in the 40th minute. Schilawski was assisted by junior defender Evan Brown after he rebounded a shot by junior forward Marcus Tracy.

The second Wake Forest goal came off the foot of sophomore forward Cody Arnoux, scoring for the fifth time this season. With the goal, Arnoux tied freshman Corben Bone for the team lead in points with 11. Fellow sophomore Austin da Luz was credited with the assist of Arnoux’s goal.

The game also marked the comeback of senior co-captain Julian Valentin who had been sidelined since the start of the season due to injuries sustained during a preseason intersquad scrimmage. The return of the senior leader provided an extra lift for an already strong Wake Forest squad.

The Deacs took their unbeaten record into a match with in-state rival Elon Oct. 2. Even though Elon was a non-conference and unranked opponent, Wake Forest tried not to approach them any differently.

“The focus is always there,” said freshman defender Ike Opara, “One slip up can hurt you.”

The Deacs slipped in the first half when the Elon Phoenix drew first blood by scoring in the 43rd minute. Wake found themselves trailing at halftime for the first time this season. The one goal lead stood until the 74th minute when Opara netted his first goal of the season, tying the match at one.

The score remained tied through regulation and gave way to two overtimes. Neither team launched a productive offensive attack in the first overtime, as only one shot was taken by the Deacs.

The second overtime provided a flurry of offense from both teams, as Wake fired five shots to Elon’s one. The Deacs had a golden opportunity to score in the 102nd minute, pelting Elon goalie Clint Irwin with three consecutive shots, all of which were saved. The crowd stood in disbelief as Elon parried Wake’s attack and held on to earn the draw.

“It’s not the result we wanted but we need to forget about it and focus on our next game,” Opara said.

The Deacs’ next game is Oct. 5 in Blacksburg, Va., when they will take on ACC foe Virginia Tech. They will then return back to Spry Stadium Oct. 9 to host in-state opponent Appalachian State.