Wake Forest men’s soccer handily claimed their chance to win its first conference title in seven years.
After a first half that resulted in a three-goal lead at halftime, the Demon Deacons hung on to beat the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Semifinal, 5-1.
The Demon Deacons started out strong. Throughout the first ten minutes, Wake Forest commanded possession, making the Cavaliers play on their back foot.
With control of the ball, the Demon Deacons did not waste early chances — the first of which saw Dylan Borso float a ball into the six-yard box, which found the head of Julian Kennedy, who powered it into the net for an early 1-0 lead.
“I was really proud of the way the guys started the game,” Wake Forest Head Coach Bobby Muuss said postgame. “I thought we were pretty selfless. We did the little things.”
Kennedy continued to contribute, including a chance just minutes later. After Colin Thomas had a one-on-one chance denied by Virginia goalkeeper Tom Miles, the rebound found the feet of Kennedy, who snuck a ball towards Basit Umar just inside the 18-yard box, who banged a powerful strike off the crossbar and into the net.
“We’ve been waiting for that Julian Kennedy all year,” Muuss said. “Good things happen to good men, and he’s been working really hard for it.”
Virginia also made self-inflicted mistakes that cost them dearly — including a handball call in the 18-yard box. After a video review, referee Lucas Feathers pointed to the penalty spot, allowing Cooper Flax to beat Miles to his right hand side to put the Demon Deacons up three goals heading into half.
The momentum carried through to the second half, too, when the Demon Deacons had a clear goal-scoring opportunity squandered by Virginia substitute goalkeeper Joey Batruoni.
After two corner kick chances, Wake Forest looked to cross the ball in from outside the 18-yard box, with freshman Joel Torbic curling a ball to try to find a forward in front of the net. The ball reached nobody; however, it snuck in the far side of the goal netting, putting the Demon Deacons up four.
In the 55th minute, the Cavaliers got a goal back after substitute forward Triton Beauvois connected with an overhead ball, beating Wake Forest goalkeeper Trace Alphin to the near side.
Later on, Thomas dribbled a ball into the Cavaliers’ box before being tackled by a defender, crumpling down and earning another penalty kick. Flax again stood composed before slotting the ball into the top right corner to regain their four-point lead.
“I wanted to put the game away,” Muuss said of Flax’s second goal. “I had all the confidence in the world in [Flax].”
The Demon Deacons held onto their lead, defeating the Cavaliers, 5-1. The win represents continued playoff momentum as they seek their first ACC Championship in seven years.
They’ll play the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Men’s Soccer Final on Sunday. Kickoff is set to air at 12 p.m. on ESPNU.
