The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-3-6, 1-3-3 ACC) return to Spry this evening, taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-4-4, 3-2-2 ACC) in their regular season finale. For both teams, this game is a must win, as they each look to give the selection committee something to think about in a couple of weeks, with both sides sitting on the NCAA Tournament bubble. For the Irish, this game also has implications for their ACC tournament seeding, as they can finish as high as 3rd in the conference with a win today
plus help. The Deacs, meanwhile, are guaranteed to go on the road for every game of the ACC Tournament, as they cannot mathematically finish in the top 8 of the conference. The Irish come into this matchup on the heels of their second road victory of the season, a 1-0 win in Chestnut Hill, MA against Boston College last Friday that put an end to a 3 game winless streak. The Deacs on the other hand have drawn all of their previous 3 games, most recently stealing a late point in Pittsburgh against Pitt in a 1-1 draw. Since rising to the #1 ranking in the nation in mid September, the Deacs have won only 2 of their last 9 games, and they will be desperate to put a win on the board today before the postseason begins. This will be a matchup between two teams whose seasons sit on the brink, so it should be hotly contested.
Opponent History
The Irish began play in 1977 under Rich Hunter as an independent, and it has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride to get to their current place in the college soccer hierarchy. Despite some high quality seasons in Hunter’s 7 years in charge, they did not make the NCAA tournament until 1988 under Dennis Grace, who led the Irish to the MCC conference championship in their first season in a conference and a first ever NCAA Tournament that ultimately ended in the first round. Grace led the Irish from 1984-1989, and that 1988 season proved to be the sole tournament appearance in his tenure, despite an MCC regular season title in 1989. In 1990, Grace was replaced by Mike Berticelli, who began to establish the program as a quality outfit. He led the Irish from 1990-1999, winning the MCC title in 1993 and 1994, then winning the Big East title in only their second season in the conference in 1996. All three of those championships came with appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and, after first round exits in 1993 and 1994, Berticelli led the Irish to their first ever tournament win in 1996 to get them to a first ever Round of 16. Tragically, in January of 2000, Berticelli passed away before he could take Notre Dame to greater heights, and he still holds the high mark in program history for conference championships won by a head coach. Berticelli assistant Chris Apple was named interim head coach ahead of the 2000 season, and, after a 7-8-2 season and a 4th straight season without an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Irish hired then Stanford head coach Bobby Clark.
Bobby Clark proved to be the coach that would bring the Irish to national prominence. Clark led the Irish from 2001-2017, making the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 17 years in charge. The Irish would win the 2004, 2007, and 2008 Big East Regular Season Championships, the 2003 and 2012 Big East Tournament Championships, and back to back ACC Regular Season Championships in their first two seasons in the conference, 2013 and 2014. Much more notable in Clark’s tenure, though, were his team’s forays in the national tournament. In 2006 and 2007, the Irish reached new heights, going to their first and second ever national quarterfinals, but, in 2013, Clark painted his masterpiece. After having never advanced beyond the NCAA quarterfinals in their history, the Irish won their first ever NCAA Championship, punctuating a 17-1-6 season with a 2-1 victory against Maryland in the national title game. After their national title win, the Irish would not advance past the Round of 16 in Clark’s final 4 seasons in charge, and, following the 2017 season, Clark would retire from his post, leaving the Irish program after a 216-93-55 record at the helm.
Ahead of the 2018 season, the Irish would hire their current head coach, Chad Riley. Riley had served as an assistant under Clark from 2006-2011, and, like Clark, served as the head coach of Dartmouth, leading the Big Green to 4 Ivy League Championships during his 5 years in charge from 2013-2017. Riley’s tenure has had a bit of everything. During his time as head coach in South Bend, Riley has led the Irish to two College Cups (2021 and 2023), an ACC Regular Season (2023) and Tournament (2021) Championship, and has missed the NCAA Tournament entirely in 3 of 7 seasons to this point, and this year would make it a 4th miss in 8 seasons and a second in a row if the Irish cannot position themselves on the right side of the bubble in the next couple of weeks. After making the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons in charge, the Irish have not made or missed the tournament in consecutive seasons. It has been a rollercoaster, boom or bust tenure for Riley in his time in the big seat in South Bend, but he has been consistent in his matchups against the Deacs. During Riley’s tenure, the Irish are 2-0-1 against Wake, with the Deacs not having defeated the Irish since an ACC quarterfinal win in 2016. On the whole, the Irish are 5-6-3 against Wake in their history, holding a 3-4-1 mark in Winston-Salem.
Tactics and Breakdown
The Irish play a traditional flat 4-4-2 formation, and, like many other teams in the ACC, press high up the field to disrupt opposing teams’ rhythm in possession. When their press is broken, they drop deep into two banks of 4, remaining structured and organized against the ball. They are very aggressive against the ball as well, leading the ACC in fouls per game. In possession, they are a bit of a hybrid side, either looking to play out of the back and build their way forward or to go long and press high to win the second ball in the opposing half depending on the state of the game and their opponent. Their attack largely runs through their very talented wingers, who can make things happen off the dribble and create for their teammates or themselves. This Notre Dame side is also tall and physical all over the field, which is something they use to great effect on set pieces. So far this season, they have scored 9 goals on set plays, and the Irish’s social media account has taken to referring to the program as “Set Piece U.” For a Wake team that really struggles against big, physical, aggressive sides and one that does not defend set pieces well, defeating this Notre Dame team will be a tall task.
Statistically, the Irish are an interesting case. Offensively, they are a fairly average unit, sitting 10th out of 15 in the ACC and in the top half nationally in scoring offense, but they do not create a high volume of chances, sitting second from last in the conference and outside the top 100 nationally in both shots and shots on goal per game. They have slumped a bit on that end of the field in recent games as well, scoring only 3 goals in their previous 4 matches. Also, despite their excellent set piece record, they sit dead last in the conference in corners taken. Defensively, they are 10th in the conference and 68th in goals against average, also sitting 12th in the conference in shutout percentage. However, they have received some spectacular goalkeeping this season, sitting 5th in the conference in save percentage and 3rd in saves per game, meaning that this is an Irish team that gives up their fair share of chances, but their goalkeeper has been equal to a fair amount of them. With that said, this Wake team has proven to be a high level attack on their day this season, sitting 20th nationally and 4th in the ACC in scoring offense, so, if the Irish give up a high volume of chances, this Wake team may just take advantage.
Players to Watch
For the Irish, the primary danger man will be winger #22 Nolan Spicer. Spicer is a player with immense talent on the ball and a lot of creativity. So far this year, he has registered 2 goals and 7 assists with his ability to cut in on his left foot from the right flank and put dangerous service into the area. Also serving as Notre Dame’s primary set piece taker, he will have a big role in this game as the Irish push for a much needed victory. Another player to watch is forward #9 Wyatt Borso. Borso, the older brother of former Wake winger Dylan Borso, is a proper fox in the box center forward. He has enough about him physically to be a challenge for center backs in that respect, and he has great heading ability as well, but his biggest talent is being in the right place at the right time in the penalty area. He always seems to find himself in dangerous positions, which has led him to score a team-leading 5 goals so far this season. If the Deacs are going to hold the Irish off the board this evening, they’ll have to keep a close eye on Borso.
As for the Deacs, forward #23 Chandler Young will be critical in this game. Young missed the majority of October through injury, but, in his return off the bench against Pitt last game, he had an impactful performance, drawing a red card on a Pitt defender before the Deacs equalized late. He is a big forward with excellent feet, and, against a physical team like Notre Dame, Young is the exact kind of player that can unlock the Irish’s defense, as he has enough physically to take the hits from the Irish and enough talent on the ball to make something happen in the attacking end. Another player to watch is midfielder #12 Jose Perez. Against a Notre Dame team that will look to muddy things up in the middle of the field, Perez will have an integral role in the game. He has been among the Deacs’ most consistent performers this season, and is a metronome midfielder that keeps this team ticking in possession. With another pressing team on the docket, Perez knows he will have to step up. He has also chipped in with 3 goals this season, so don’t be surprised to see him on the scoresheet either. Defensively, for a Wake team that has struggled in their half all season, he is also going to play a big role as the dep midfielder in a midfield three. If the Deacs can find a win in this game, he will likely be a huge reason why.
Where to Watch
Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM EDT, and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX/ESPN+.
