On Sunday evening, the nation’s best clashed in a heavyweight matchup as No. 2 Wake Forest (11-3-2, 6-2-1 ACC) fell short against No.1 Duke (13-1-1, 8-0-1), losing 2-0.
More than 3,700 fans packed into Wake Forest’s Spry Stadium, breaking the previous attendance record of 3,000 that had stood for 24 years.
In the 17th minute, junior forward Caiya Hanks recorded the Demon Deacons’ first shot on goal off a fast break. Hanks had an open lane but bobbled the ball, allowing a Blue Devils defender to disrupt her shot.
Senior midfielder Emily Colton took the Demon Deacons’ only other attempts of the first half in the 29th and 31th minutes. The first was blocked, while the second sailed too high.
The teams were evenly balanced at halftime, either tied or separated by one in shots, shots on goal, saves, fouls and corners.
Four minutes into the second half, a Duke hand ball set up Wake Forest with a free kick on the edge of the penalty box, but Colton missed her attempt wide to the right.
In the 52nd minute, Duke midfielder Katie Groff fired a left-footed pass deep into the box. The ball skipped through two Wake Forest defenders and found midfielder Mia Oliaro for a goal, giving the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
Colton nearly tied the match a few possessions later with a deep attempt that nailed the middle of the crossbar.
Duke applied relentless pressure on sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Amaral. Between the 56th and 65th minutes the Blue Devils had four shots on goal.
In the 70th minute, Oliaro sprinted upfield and cut back to her left, before kicking a rocket over the outstretched arms of Amaral. The 2-0 deficit seemed to drain the energy out of Spry Stadium for the remainder of the match.
Wake Forest had plenty of opportunities but failed to capitalize, especially in transition — an area where they have excelled throughout much of the season. The Demon Deacons certainly have to be sharper in the box with postseason play looming.
“[Duke] outplayed us and deserved to win,” Head Coach Tony De Luz said. “We played individually tonight and behind the speed of play.”
The Demon Deacons are currently ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. In addition, they are seventh in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) and third in the Top Drawer Soccer poll.
Wake Forest dropped to fourth place in the ACC standings. The Demon Deacons need just one point to clinch their second-consecutive ACC Tournament appearance. They will host NC State (4-9-4, 1-5-3 ACC) on Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. in their final regular season match.
