Top-seeded Wake Forest blanks Oakland in NCAA opener
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest dominated on the offensive end and the Demon Deacons were able to oust Oakland University in the first-round of the NCAA Women’s College Cup Friday.
The Demon Deacons outshot the Golden Grizzlies 27-2, including 15-1 with shots directly on goal, and went on to post a 2-0 defeat of the OU in a women’s soccer match at Spry Stadium.
Anne Berschbach made a career-high 13 saves for Oakland, but it was not enough as the Demons Deacons scored a goal in each half and dominated the Summit League tournament champs from start to finish.
“I am very proud of what our team has accomplished over the year,” said Oakland head coach Nick O’Shea. “It was a tough game and Wake Forest is a good team. They are big, fast and moved the ball well. Our girls did well, but good teams make good plays and they scored twice to earn the win.”
Oakland (10-11-1) held Wake Forest (15-3-4) at bay for the first 30 minutes before Katie Stengel scored in the 34th minute. The Demon Deacons played the ball wide to Alisha Woodson, who came forward from her left-back position and drove in a low cross to Stengel who redirected the ball into the roof of the net.
It was the 15th goal of the season for the ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
The Golden Grizzlies continued to battle in the second half, getting forward in search of an equalizer. The game remained close until the 80th minute when Rachel Nuzzolese scored on a square-pass from Stengel. It was the 11th goal of the season for Nuzzolese. The assist also gave Stengel the single-season points record at Wake Forest.
Berschbach was called on early and often making six first-half saves and seven in the second half. Several times in the first-half the OU goalkeeper made diving saves to deny the Demon Deacons. That included a diving stop on a header to the far post by Stengel. Perhaps the best save of the night came in the second half when Stengel hit a hard volley from the right side that Berschbach held on to without allowing a rebound.
“I was really pumped up for this game,” said Berschbach. “I knew that we would all have to work extremely hard to try and make it to the next round. I was seeing things really well tonight. It was intimidating playing a team like Wake Forest, but these girls at Oakland have done great things and we did our best tonight.”
Sarah Lynch had the best scoring chance for Oakland in the 82nd minute when she headed the ball wide of the right post from a Julianne Boyle corner kick. Kyla Kellerman had the only other shot for OU in the first half, forcing a save from Aubrey Bledsoe in goal for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons finished the night with a 15-1 advantage in shots on goal. Bledsoe earned her 12th shutout of the season for WFU.
“It’s been a great year for Oakland soccer,” concluded O’Shea. “These women who have worked so hard to accomplish what they have.”
Oakland won its seventh Summit League Championship this season. The Golden Grizzlies were the first No. 4 seed ever to win the league championship and advanced to the sixth NCAA Tournament for the program since 2001.
Category: Campus Clips, Colleges / Other, Oakland University
