Last Sunday, the No. 20 Wake Forest Field Hockey team hosted Longwood University in a one-sided battle that resulted in a statement 7-0 home win for the Demon Deacons.
Despite 15 saves from Longwood goalie Sophie Mooldijk, Wake Forest’s offense was simply too overwhelming for the Lancers’ defense.
The win sets an optimistic tone for their season, as they are hoping to bounce back after an early end to their 2024 season in the ACC tournament, as well as two road losses to start the season at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
At halftime, the score was only 1-0, with junior Mia Shoenbeck drag-flicking the ball to the back of the cage off of a penalty corner less than two minutes into the contest. The first half had missed scoring opportunities and gritty, aggressive play that led to a green card for Wake Forest’s Brenna Campagna.
“It’s almost like a shooter’s slump in basketball, ” Head Coach Jen Averill said of the first half of play. “They were trying so hard in the first half to score that we overcomplicated it.”
Nonetheless, the Demon Deacons controlled play from the opening whistle, outshooting the Lancers 10-0 in the first half. Longwood failed to record possession in Wake Forest’s defensive zone until the final minutes of the first quarter.
Wake Forest’s defensive front stayed composed too, with senior goalie Ellie Todd going untested and Longwood rarely entering the offensive circle.
It was the second-half surge where the Demon Deacons ran away with it, piling on three goals in both the third and fourth quarters. Sophomore Lauren Storey highlighted the scoring with a hat trick, two of which were unassisted.
A crafty reverse chip in from Storey with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter was the second score of the game. Sophomore Lena Keller then added a tap-in off a feed from freshman Reabetswe Phume, and Shoenbeck later tallied another goal nearly identical to her first to open up the fourth quarter.
Junior Faye Janse iced the game with seven minutes left by maneuvering through multiple defenders and finishing with a drive through the goalie’s five-hole, marking her second goal of the season.
“It was an outstanding team performance. We’re really starting to open up the game and play to our strengths, which is utilizing our connections with our backfield to midfield, midfield to forwards,” Averill said. “Our next level as a team is creating more midfield transfers to make ourselves more threatening in a more balanced way.”
In the Demon Deacons’ 2024 campaign, they managed just five goals through their first four games. This year, they’ve already scored 14, showing a promising offensive start to this season.
Next on the schedule is Virginia Commonwealth University away on Friday, Sept. 12 where Wake Forest will look to build on their momentum.
