October 27, 1998

The Wake Forest women's soccer team, ranked 15th in the country this week by Soccer News, wraps up the 1998 regular season when the Demon Deacons host No. 1 North Carolina on Friday at 7 p.m. in Spry Stadium.

The match with the Tar Heels will have no implications in the conference standings, as Wake Forest has already secured the #4 seed for next week's Atlantic Coast Conference Championship while North Carolina will own the #1 seed. The Deacs' record currently stands at 12-4-1 overall and 4-2 in the ACC after splitting a pair of overtime matches last weekend with #12 Virginia (lost 1-0) and #23 Maryland (won 3-2). The win over the Terrapins guaranteed a winning conference record for Wake Forest, the first in school history.

Wake Forest has won seven of its last eight matches, which has vaulted the Demon Deacons into the national top 25.

WEEK EIGHT RECAP
Wake Forest split a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference matches last weekend, dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to #12 Virginia before rebounding with a 3-2 overtime victory over #23 Maryland. Wake Forest's record now stands at 12-4-1 overall and 4-2-0 in the ACC.

On Friday the Deacs and the Cavaliers engaged in a highly entertaining defensive battle. Each team had a number of chances to get on the scoreboard during regulation, but neither team could find the back of the net. Virginia's Angela Hucles scored in the third minute of overtime to give the Cavs the 1-0 victory. Play was even throughout the game, with Virginia taking 19 shots and Wake Forest taking 18.

The Deacs rebounded on Sunday against the Terrapins, however. After Maryland took a 1-0 lead in the first half, Wake Forest senior Andrea Pelletier scored two goals in under two minutes to give the Deacs a 2-1 lead. The Terps tied the score just before regulation and the game appeared to be heading for a draw before Anne Shropshire netted the "Golden Goal" with just 3:54 left in overtime. Wake Forest outshot Maryland 31-16 in the contest.

PELLETIER RETURNS WITH A VENGEANCE
Senior Andrea Pelletier, who suffered a broken wrist in the final minutes of the Missouri game on Sept. 25, made her first appearance in a month against Maryland on Oct. 25. Although she played just 21:14 in the 116 minute contest, Pelletier certainly made her presence felt by turning a 1-0 Wake Forest deficit into a 2-1 lead with a pair of goals in just under two minutes midway through the second half.

Pelletier may have had some extra motivation to return with a bang, as it was written here initially after her injury that she "may be lost for the season." Upon reading those words, she promised to return to the lineup this season and make a positive impact.

SHROPSHIRE CONTINUES ASSAULT ON RECORD BOOK
Junior forward Anne Shropshire continues to add her name to the Wake Forest record book this season. Most recently, Shropshire set a new career mark for goals scored against LSU and now owns 20 goals in her career. The previous mark was held by teammate Julie Scott, who owns 16 career goals (and one this season).

Earlier this season at the Irish Key Bank Classic, the Lexington, Kty., product moved into first place on Wake Forest's career scoring list. She now owns 30 points this season and 63 career points. The previous record holder was Cheryl Zimmermann who totaled 43 points in four years from 1994-97, while Shropshire accomplished the feat during her third season.

Shropshire set yet another career mark earlier this season with her two-assist performance at Davidson. Now with 10 assists this year, Shropshire has raised her career total to 23 and moved into first place on Wake Forest's career list in that category as well. The previous record holder was Zimmermann who tallied 15 assists in her career. Shropshire, who led the Deacons in assists last fall as well, has set a new school record for assists in a single season (10).

DEACS FIND HIGH-OUTPUT OFFENSE IN OCTOBER
A new look in the lineup from head coach Tony da Luz at the beginning of October in the ACC-SEC Challenge brought instant results on the offensive end of the field.

Anne Shropshire moved from the midfield to join Stefanie Mathews at the forward position, and the Deacs haven't looked back since. In eight games since the move, Wake Forest is averaging 3.63 goals per game and holding its opponents to just 1.25 goals per contest. The Deacs have outscored their opponents 29-10 during this streak of seven wins against only one loss, which includes victories over Kentucky, LSU, UNC Charlotte, Duke, NC State, UNC Greensboro and Maryland.

FRESHMEN OF INFLUENCE
Now in the stretch run of the 1998 season, the Wake Forest freshman class has certainly made its presence felt this year. The four field players - F Emily Taggart (6 goals, 2 assists), MF Sarah Kate Noftsinger (4 g, 5 a), MF Stacy Roeck (6 g, 1 a) and F Rachel Parri (2 g, 2 a) - have accounted for 18 goals and 10 assists so far this season. GK Erin Regan, too, has made her mark in goal for the Deacs, sporting a solid 1.70 GAA in 14 games and 1,166 minutes.

The five players have combined to make 64 starts this season.

SNYDER ANCHORS THE DEFENSE
With senior Jessen Snyder manning the sweeper position, head coach Tony da Luz has the comfort of knowing that his defense is in good hands (or feet). A four-year veteran of the program, Snyder has appeared in 81 games in her career and owns 80 career starts, both of which are school records. Snyder passed former teammate Cheryl Zimmermann, who owned 79 career starts, last weekend against Maryland.

Snyder was asked to move from her midfield position of a year ago to the backfield prior to the season. She has not only accepted her new role as a defender but has also excelled at her new position, helping the Deacs allow an average of just 1.35 goals per game - the second best mark in the ACC. Wake Forest owns four shutouts this season as well.

Although her name may not show up among the team's statistical leaders, Snyder may be the most valuable player on the squad.

INSIDE THE ACC STATISTICS
The Demon Deacons have several players listed among the ACC's statistical leaders. Junior Anne Shropshire is currently fifth in the league standings with 0.59 assists per game, ranks 6th with 1.76 points per game and ranks 6th with 0.59 goals per game. Senior Stefanie Mathews ranks 6th with 0.56 assists per game. Freshman goalkeeper Erin Regan ranks 4th in GAA (1.70) and second in saves per game (4.93).

As a team, Wake Forest ranks 3rd in scoring defense (1.35), 3rd in shutouts per game (0.24) and 3rd in scoring offense (2.82).

ALSO WORTH NOTING...
Freshman Emily Taggart netted her first career hat trick vs. NC State, becoming just the third player in school history to accomplish that feat . . . senior Stefanie Mathews was selected to the All-Tournament team at the Irish Key Bank Classic . . . after redshirting in 1997, junior Susie Nettelbeck scored her first goal since the 1996 season against LSU . . . the seven goals scored against NC State were the most scored by a Tony da Luz coached Wake Forest team . . . Wake Forest is ranked #15 this week and has been listed among the nation's top 25 teams at various points in each of the last three years . . . the Deacs played their final road game of the season (at UNC Charlotte on Oct. 8) before playing their first home game (vs. Duke on Oct. 11).