Wake Forest Selected to Host First Two Rounds of NCAA Tournament
Deacs earn bid to NCAA Tournament for 13th straight year

Nov. 9, 2009

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The 10th-ranked Wake Forest women's soccer team was selected as one of 16 host sites for the first two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The Demon Deacons, which earned a three seed in the North Carolina region, open play on Friday at 5:30 p.m. (ET) against Kennesaw State at Spry Stadium.

"Like I told our team, it is not easy to make the NCAA Tournament and you can't take it for granted," head coach Tony da Luz said. "We feel honored not only to be in the tournament, but to be a host site."

Loyola (Md.) and West Virginia will meet in the other first round match on Friday at 3 p.m. The winners of Friday's games will face off in the second round on Sunday, November 15, at 1 p.m.

Ticket prices for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament are $5 for students and seniors and $7 for adults. Please note that fans sitting on the hill by Polo Rd. will also be charged. All seats are general admission and fans are encouraged to arrive early. Tickets may be purchased by calling the WFU Ticket Office at (336) 758-3322, online by clicking here or at the Spry Stadium ticket office on the day of the game.

The Deacs advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th consecutive year. Wake Forest has an all-time record of 6-11-1 in the NCAA Tournament. In 2008, Wake defeated Morehead State 2-0 in the first round, before falling 1-0 to James Madison.

Wake Forest is hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history and for the second straight season.

"We are really happy to be able to stay at home and be in front of our fans," da Luz continued. "We feel like we're a really tough team to beat at Spry Stadium. It's a gift for us to not have to travel with as much mileage as we've put on our team this year."

The Demon Deacons currently have a 13-5-2 overall record and a 5-3-2 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Wake Forest has been led by a pair of senior forwards. Jill Hutchinson has scored a team-high 13 goals, along with three assists, for 29 points. Kaley Fountain has found the back of the net 10 times, while also contributing a team-high eight assists for 28 points.

In net, junior Amanda Barasha and senior Laura Morse have each seen time this season. Barasha has a 0.80 goals against average and six shutouts in 1124 minutes of action. Morse has compiled a 0.97 GAA with three clean sheets in 739 minutes of work.

A member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, Kennesaw State brings an 11-6-0 record and a 7-3-0 mark in A-Sun play into the NCAA Tournament. The Owls defeated Belmont 2-1 in the A-Sun Championship to receive the league's automatic bid.

Kennesaw State is led offensively by Caitlin Dingle. Dingle has scored a team-leading eight goals and added six assists for a team-high 22 points. Brittany Vining leads the Owls with seven helpers on the year.

In goal, Staci Pugh has posted a 1.18 goals against average, allowing 19 goals and making 73 saves on the season.

"Traditionally, Kennesaw State is a very strong team," da Luz said. "They're very good and organized defensively. Every time they play against an ACC team or an SEC team, it's always a really close game. We'll have a lot of respect for them."

Wake Forest and Kennesaw State will be meeting for the first time on Friday. The Deacs are a perfect 2-0 all-time against teams from the A-Sun.

All-Time Records