No. 7 Deacs Travel to BC with ACC Hosting Rights on the Line
Oct. 26, 2011
Complete Wake Forest Notes 
No. 7 Wake Forest closes out the regular season on Thursday night on the road at No. 21 Boston College in a match that is crucial for ACC seeding purposes. The Deacons sit in fourth place in the standings with 18 points, with the Eagles only three points behind in fifth place. With a win or a tie, Wake Forest would secure a a top-four finish, and along with it the right to host the first round of the ACC Tournament. If BC wins, it would host Wake Forest in the tournament's opening round. The Demon Deacons could finish as high as second place in the final standings, but can drop no further than a tie for fourth with Boston College.
Wake Forest Offense Explodes Against Clemson
Going into Sunday's game against Clemson, Wake Forest had scored only two goals in its last five games, but playing the Tigers proved to be the perfect tonic for the Demon Deacon offense.
The Deacs found the back of the net four times to earn the crucial 4-0 victory, getting two goals, including the game-winner, from Rachel Nuzzolese, and a goal apiece from Amanda Howell and Kristen Meier. Howell and Meier's goals were each their first of the season, while Nuzzolese is now tied for seventh in the league with eight goals on the year.
Meier, India Winford, Kim Marshall and Annick McBryar were all credited with assists in the contest. Meier's goal and assist gave her a career-high three-point game. Winford, Marshall and McBryar's assists were their first-ever points in a Wake Forest uniform.
Deacs and Eagles Play for Right to Host ACCs
The winner of Thursday's match between Wake Forest and Boston College will earn an important prize - the right to host the first round of the ACC Tournament on its home field on Sunday. This season, the top four finishers in the ACC standings will host the next four teams on campus in the first round. The semifinals and finals will still take place in Cary, N.C.
ACC Seeding Scenarios
• Wake Forest defeats BC: Wake Forest could receive no lower than the No. 4 seed, and could pass North Carolina and/or Virginia for third or second place if either team does not win its final match. If both the Tar Heels and Cavaliers win, the Deacons would host the winner of Thursday's Florida State vs. Virginia Tech match in the first round, unless the `Noles and Hokies tie, in which case the Deacs would host Boston College. If either UNC or UVA does not win and the Deacons move up to the No. 2 or No. 3 spots, they could play a number of teams in the first round, depending on Thursday's results
• Wake Forest ties BC: If Virginia and North Carolina both win or tie, or if Virginia wins or ties and North Carolina loses, Wake Forest will be the No. 4 seed and will host Boston College in the first round. If North Carolina loses and Virginia wins or ties, Wake Forest will be the No. 3 seed and could play a number of teams. If both UNC and UVA lose, Wake Forest will be the No. 2 seed.
• BC defeats Wake Forest: The Deacons will be the No. 5 seed and will play their first round at Boston College on Sunday.
Bledsoe Extends School Shutout Record
With a 4-0 shutout of Clemson last Sunday, sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe extended her Wake Forest single-season record clean sheet total to 11. Bledsoe had set a new school record with her 10th shutout of year in a 0-0 tie at North Carolina on Oct. 16, passing Erin Regan, who kept nine clean sheets in 2003.
Last year's ACC Tournament MVP, Bledsoe has shut out four of the Deacons' last five ACC opponents and currently ranks third in the the conference with a 0.45 goals against average. She already ranks third on the Wake Forest career shutout charts with 14 career clean sheets.
Stengel Returns to the Field Against the Tigers
After missing Wake Forest's games against North Carolina and Duke with a knee injury suffered in the Demon Deacons' game against Maryland on Oct. 8, Katie Stengel returned to the field against Clemson last Sunday, coming off the bench to play 44 minute and record two shots.
Despite missing time with the injury, Stengel ranks second in the ACC with 30 points this season and is tied for second with 13 goals. She leads the conference with a 2.00 points per game and 0.87 goals per game scoring clip.
The 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year, Stengel finished last season as the ACC's scoring leader with 16 goals and 37 points, setting new Wake Forest single-season records in both categories.
Nuzzolese Finding Her Form
Rachel Nuzzolese had been held without a goal in five straight games heading into last Sunday's match at Clemson, the longest scoring drought in her young career, but made up for lost time with two scores against the Tigers, including the game-winner.
Nuzzolese now ranks second on the team and tied for seventh in the ACC with eight goals this season. Her four game-winning goals this year are tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
The sophomore is still working her way back to full strength after suffering a torn ACL in the middle of the 2010 season, but more often than not has exhibited the brilliant offensive talent that saw her score nine goals in 11 games as a freshman before suffering the injury.
Perfect on the Road
Wake Forest has yet to lose on the road this season, holding 6-0-2 record in true road games. The Demon Deacons are the only ACC team that have yet to lose a road fixture this year and are one of only eight Division I teams without a road loss.
The other D-I road unbeatens are Stanford, Oklahoma State, Memphis, La Salle, Pepperdine, Santa Clara and North Dakota State.
If the Deacons keep their road unbeaten streak alive in their final regular season match at Boston College, they won't have to worry about playing another road match for at least a couple weeks as they will earn the right to host the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Meier Turns Playmaker
Junior Kristen Meier entered the 2011 season with only three career assists to her name but has turned into one of the Deacons' best distributors, dishing out a team-leading seven assists this season.
Her assist total is tied for the third-most in the ACC and the sixth most ever for a Demon Deacon in a single season.
