Wake Forest Advances to ACC Men's Soccer Title Game On PKs

Nov. 3, 2006

BOYDS, Md. - Second-seeded Wake Forest notched the equalizer with 36 seconds left against third-seeded Virginia to force a 1-1 draw and then won on penalty kicks, 4-3, to advance to the final of the 2006 ACC Men's Soccer Championship. The Demon Deacons will take on either top-seeded Duke or fourth-seeded Maryland on Sunday.

Wake Forest controlled the first half but was just unlucky on the own goal. The Demon Deacons owned an 11-5 shot advantage and had a slight edge in corner kicks, 3-2, in the first half. In the 33rd minute, Villanueva delivered a cross into the box from the right side. Phelan tried to clear out of the box, but his attempt went into his own goal, putting the Cavaliers up 1-0.

Wake got its chance at the 6:10 mark of the first half when Sam Cronin sent a blast to the right side of the goal, but Virginia keeper Ryan Burke made a fantastic diving save to his left to keep the Cavaliers up 1-0 heading into the half.

The Deacons continued to get their chances in the second half and the first dangerous one came 11:30 in when Marcus Tracy sent a shot from the box that nicked the crossbar and went past the end line. Twenty minutes later, Wells Thompson fired a low shot that barely missed to the left.

Wake Forest stunned the Cavaliers when it scored with just 36 seconds left on the clock. Zack Shilawski sent in a cross from the left into the box. Tracy headed back the ball to the left and Cronin finished the attack with a strike to the left side.

Just four shots were taken in the overtime period with Wake taking three of them. In the game, the Deacons owned a 23-9 advantage in shots.

Yannick Reyering and Phelan connected on their first attempts in the shootout, then WFU keeper Brian Edwards came up with a save and Cronin hit to give the Deacons the one-shot lead. Both strikers sent balls into the back of the net in the next round, and them Matt Ayotte of Virginia connected and Wake's Lyle Adams missed as Burke came up with the save.

The sides were all-square going into the final round, when Edwards came up with a huge save for Wake Forest. Shilawski then stepped to the line and sent in the game-winner to advance the Demon Deacons to the final.

Burke was credited with five saves in the loss and Edwards made two in the winning effort.

Of note: This is just the second time in ACC men's soccer championship history for a team to play in the championship game without winning a game. In 1988, Virginia advanced past NC State on penalty kicks to play in the championship.

For a replay of this game, you can watch ACC Select on theacc.com.