Hernandez’s Strike, Clean Sheet Push Wake Forest to ACC Tournament Semifinals

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Behind a spectacular free kick goal from senior Omar Hernandez and the team’s eighth clean sheet this season, the No. 4 seeded Wake Forest men’s soccer team (14-4-0, 5-3-0 ACC) downed No. 12 seeded Virginia Tech (3-14-1, 0-8-0 ACC) 1-0 in a Sunday afternoon ACC Tournament quarterfinals clash at Spry Stadium. 

After the two sides went into the halftime break level at zero goals apiece, Hernandez provided magic off of a 62nd-minute free kick at the top of the 18-yard box for the only goal of the match. The strike was the first goal of the season for the senior and the 13th of his career. 

Defensively, Wake Forest held Virginia Tech to three shots on goal – which were all saved by sophomore Trace Alphin – to record the team’s fourth clean sheet against an ACC opponent in 2022. 

Wake Forest will now turn its attention to Wednesday night’s ACC Tournament semifinals action, either traveling to Duke to face the No. 1 seed Blue Devils or hosting No. 8 seed Clemson. Kick-off will be at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. with the match televised nationally on ACC Network. 

How It Happened 

• Sophomore Roald Mitchell rocketed the first shot of the contest in the sixth minute as Virginia Tech’s Ben Martino would get a glove on it to keep it 0-0 early. 

• The Hokies tested sophomore Trace Alphin on back-to-back shots in the 10th minute, but the Raleigh, N.C., native stepped up with two huge saves. 

• Sophomore Ryan Fessler nearly got his third career goal in the 22nd minute, as he got a head off a corner kick from freshman Cooper Flax but it hit off the crossbar. 

• At the 27-minute mark of the first half, the two teams entered the locker room for an inclement weather delay that lasted 38 minutes. 

• Senior Takuma Suzuki almost netted his first career goal just seconds after play resumed, getting a head on an in-swinging cross from junior Jahlane Forbes that went wide of the frame. 

• Niang logged consecutive shots in the 30th minute, the first being blocked with the second being saved by Martino. 

• Freshman Vlad Walent continued the Deacon offensive pursuit late in the first half, collecting Wake Forest’s ninth shot of the opening frame in the 42nd minute. 

• Wake Forest opened the second half on…