The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-3-6, 2-3-3 ACC) closed out their regular season with a 3-0 victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-5-4, 3-3-2 ACC) on Senior Night at Spry. For the Deacs, it puts
an end to a 3 game winless streak, but, it also extends their unbeaten streak out to 5 games after having posted a 2-0-3 record since their 2-0 loss to #1 Stanford on 10/4. This game was also Wake’s first shutout since their 7-0 win against Liberty on 9/22. As for the Irish, this was their 3rd loss in their last 4 games, and it was one they could hardly afford as a team on the very edge of the NCAA Tournament bubble. This was a game that was uneventful for much of the first half, but, after the Deacs got on the board, they found another gear to run away with the result.
In the first 20 minutes or so of the first half, it was largely the Irish in control of the game, but there were not any clear cut chances for either team. They came out in a 4-4-2 formation, and they did not press quite as high as they typically do, dropping into a deeper block that frustrated the Deacs in possession, preventing them from making much happen in the attacking end. In the 10th minute, the Irish came close to opening the scoring, as forward Wyatt Borso won the ball from Wake midfielder Jose Perez outside the area, then lashing a shot towards goal that stayed just wide of the post. In the 24th minute, the Irish created some havoc from a set piece, which has been one of their strengths this season, as a long throw from Borso was nodded towards goal by defender Mitch Ferguson, but his effort was cleared by midfielder Joel Torbic inside the 6 yard box before it could even get through to keeper Jonah Mednard. After that initial positive period for the Irish, the Deacs began to have extended spells of possession and hem Notre Dame in their own end. In the 35th minute, the Deacs almost took the lead through a set piece of their own, with midfielder Cooper Flax lofting a great ball into forward Chandler Young at the back post, who headed it back across goal towards wingers Vlad Walent and Alfred Debah in the 6 yard box, who were both unmarked. While Debah connected well with his header, it would bounce right into the arms of Irish keeper Blake Kelly. In the 37th minute, though, the Deacs would find their breakthrough. Wake would exert some pressure of their own in Notre Dame’s end, with right back Copeland Berkley stripping winger Sebastian Green and playing midfielder Basit Umar inside. Umar drove the ball ahead and then played it to Chandler Young just inside the penalty area, and Young went down in the box after a challenge from Mitch Ferguson. The official did not point to the spot initially, but, after video review, a penalty kick was awarded. Wake’s usual penalty taker Cooper Flax handed the ball off to fellow senior Vlad Walent, who made no mistake from the spot, slotting it past Blake Kelly for his first goal since the 2023 season, giving the Deacs the lead. Wake continued to control proceedings through the end of the half, and when the buzzer sounded, they went into the break with the lead.
In the second half, the Deacs continued to control matters, also creating more dangerous chances than they had in the first half. In the 60th minute, the Deacs doubled their lead. This time, it would be senior captain Cooper Flax that got on the scoresheet, as, after Vlad Walent was able to win the second ball from a Notre Dame clearance, he played it ahead to Basit Umar, who laid it off to Flax about 30 yards from goal. Flax feigned a shot with his left foot, drawing a jump from midfielder Will Schroeder, which allowed him to take a touch across his body and set up a shot with his favored right foot, which he curled into the bottom corner for his team-leading 7th goal of the season. Only 4 minutes later, the Deacs put this game on ice. The move started in the Deacs’ own half, with Joel Torbic claiming a loose ball and playing it ahead to Cooper Flax, who had acres of space to run into just ahead of the halfway line. Flax drove ahead and played it out left to winger Tate Lorentz. Lorentz settled the ball in the area and fizzed a beautiful ball across goal to right winger Jeffrey White, who had little to do but tap the ball into the open net for his 3rd goal of the season and the Deacs’ 3rd goal of the game. From there, it was easy sailing for Wake. White nearly scored his brace in the 70th minute, with Cooper Flax setting him up with a shooting opportunity on the right side of the area. White lashed one towards goal that got through Blake Kelly despite the Irish keeper getting a big piece of it, but Kelly was able to recover and claw the ball off the line to keep the score at 3-0. Shortly after this, the Deacs put it in neutral, bringing on their backups to see out the remaining time, and, in the end, they would see out a big 3-0 win on Senior Night.
This was a big, emotional victory for a Wake team and senior group that, despite what has been a poor season by their standards, are still fighting for a chance to play in the postseason and to retain their ACC title. This win also confirmed the Deacs’ position in 10th in the ACC, which sets them up for a road trip to Dallas to take on the 7-seed SMU Mustangs in the first round of the ACC Tournament. In this game, there were plenty of great performances to choose from, with Joel Torbic playing a spectacular game in the middle of the field, Jeffrey White having an impactful showing on the right wing, and Vlad Walent posting his best performance of the season off the bench. One player’s performance stood head and shoulders above the rest, though, as Cooper Flax was the clear player of the match in my view. Flax has scored and set up plenty of goals this season, but he has not controlled the flow and tenor of a game in the way that he did yesterday against the Irish. He was the center of gravity for the Deacs in possession, and he was consistently able to keep the Deacs moving up the field and to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. All of this is without even mentioning his goal and assist in the second half. He was exceptional, and he will continue to be a critical component of the Deacs’ success for however much longer this season goes on.
The Demon Deacons return to action next Wednesday, 11/5, against SMU in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM EDT, and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX/ESPN+.
