Wake Forest Falls in ACC Tournament Semifinals

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The No. 4 seeded Wake Forest men’s soccer team (14-5-0, 5-3-0 ACC) fell to No. 8 seeded Clemson (13-5-1, 3-4-1 ACC) by a final of 2-0 in Wednesday night’s ACC Tournament semifinal match at Spry Stadium. 

Wake Forest entered the halftime break trailing 1-0, as Clemson took an early lead on a 14th-minute goal. The Tigers then extended their lead to 2-0 in the 60th minute to advance to Sunday’s ACC Championship match to face No. 2 seeded Syracuse at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. 

Wake Forest will now turn its attention to Monday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will take place at 1 p.m. and be streamed on NCAA.com. 

The Demon Deacons have made 11-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, tied for the second longest streak nationally and the longest amongst all ACC schools. 

How It Happened 

• Both sides came out of the opening kickoff with physicality, as there were four fouls in the opening three minutes including a Clemson yellow card. 

• Clemson was provided a dangerous free kick opportunity just at the top of the 18-yard box in the 11th minute, but the Deacs blocked back-to-back shot attempts from the Tigers. 

• The Tigers would take the lead in the 14th minute, as Brandon Parrish put Clemson on the board first with a goal from distance. 

• Clemson was issued a second yellow card in the 17th minute. 

• Sophomore Trace Alphin would make three saves in the first half, including two attempts in a one-minute span against Clemson’s Isaiah Reid. 

• Despite holding a majority of possession in the first half, Wake Forest did not record a shot in the opening 45 minutes. 

• Alphin picked up a fourth save on the night in the 47th minute. 

  
  
  

• Clemson would push its lead to 2-0 in the 60th minute off a goal from Derek Waleffe. 

• Redshirt sophomore Cristian Escribano logged the Deacs’ first shot of the night in the 65th minute that went wide of the frame. 

• The Deacs created a scoring opportunity again in the 70th minute, but junior Oscar Sears’ pass inside the box to sophomore Roald Mitchell was gobbled up before Wake Forest could strike. 

• Mitchell nearly got the Deacs a goal back in the 84th minute, but a tap that would beat Clemson’s Joseph Andema’s…