#14 Demon Deacons Handle UNC Asheville 5-0
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Putting on a stellar offensive display, the Wake Forest men's soccer team topped UNC Asheville 5-0 Tuesday night at Spry Stadium to move to 4-0 to open a season for the first time since the 2008 campaign.
Wake Forest, which is ranked No. 14 in the latest NSCAA poll, outshot Asheville 26-8 in the game with four different players finding the back of the net.
The goals started just 71 seconds into the game when Asheville defender Jack Huber gave the Deacs a 1-0 lead on an own goal. A cross into the box from the right side was sent in with some pace and deflected in by Huber.
Wake Forest continued the attack in the 16th minute when Jon Bakero notched his first goal of the season on a shot from near the penalty area. Bakero took a pass from Brad Dunwell at the top of the box and finished with a bending shot inside the right post past the diving goalkeeper to give the Deacs the 2-0 lead.
Fifteen minutes later in the 31st minute, the Demon Deacons put together a string of passes that culminated in Philip Parker's first goal of the season. Ian Harkes started the sequence near the top of the box and sent a pass out to Jack Harrison on the right wing. Harrison then crossed into the mouth of the box and headed home the goal to put the Deacs up 3-0 at the time.
Just before halftime in the 40th minute, Tane Gent tallied his first-career collegiate goal on a sliding attempt right in front of goal. Gent was fed by Parker, who sent in a low line drive from the left side of the box. Gent charged the goal and slid just yards away from the endline to chip the ball into the back of the net for the Deacs fourth goal of the night.
Out of the halftime break in the 61st minute, Michael Gamble extended his goal streak to three with a rocket into the top-right corner of goal to make it 5-0 Demon Deacons. Gamble dribbled the ball around his lone defender on a run that started outside the penalty area. He tracked left of center in the box and with just a bit of space around his defender, he took his shot from 15 yards out to beat the diving keeper. After not scoring in the team's season-opener against Santa Clara, Gamble has now scored in each of the last three games and is already halfway to his 2014 total of six goals.
Andrew Harris got the nod in goal for the Deacs and made one save. Asheville keeper Zak Davis made seven saves in 79 minutes of action before giving way to Tyler Moore for the final 11 minutes. Wake Forest won eight corner kicks in the match compared to UNC Asheville's one, which came midway through the second half.
After taking seven shots in the first half, the Wake Forest defense stepped up and only allowed one shot in the second half. Overall, 18 players saw minutes for the Deacs in Tuesday's victory over the Bulldogs.
With the 4-0 start to the season, head coach Bobby Muuss is now 22-0-1 in his last 23 home games dating back to 2013 during his time with Denver.
The Deacs will go on the road for the first time in the regular season Saturday night when they take on Pittsburgh to open Atlantic Coast Conference play. First kick between the Demon Deacons and Panthers is set for 7 p.m.
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