WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After battling to an overtime win on Friday, the App State Mountaineers (4-1) will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., to take on the No. 17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-2) in the team’s first ranked matchup of the year on Sunday. First touch from Kentner Stadium is set for noon and can be streamed on the ACC Network Extra.
The Mountaineers extended their road winning streak to six games on Friday with a 2-1 overtime victory over James Madison. Freshmen Kassie Paul netted her first career goal in the 67th minute of play to cap off a dramatic victory in a competitive game. Paul became the fourth Mountaineer to score their first career goal this season, joining Jillian Orcutt, Sophia Baxter and Florine Koopman.
The Black & Gold have now won 14 of their last 16 games dating back to last season, which is good for a winning percentage of 0.875. The last time App State had a stretch with that high of a winning percentage was in 1968-69 where the team won 14 of 15 games (0.933). Additionally, the Mountaineers extended their winning streak to three games in matches decided in overtime.
The Mountaineer defense has been excellent to begin the season. Coach Dinsmore’s squad has allowed just six goals in five games and have held their opposition scoreless in seven of the last eight quarters of play.
“It doesn’t matter who we play or where we travel to this season, we’re going to put our best foot forward and compete against any opponent,” head coach Emily Dinsmore said. “That’s no different against Wake Forest. We need to start fast and have a front-foot mentality to get it done on Sunday.”
The Matchup
- Who: App State at No. 17 Wake Forest
- Where: Kentner Stadium // Winston-Salem, N.C.
- When: September 10 // Noon
Last Time Out
App State battled JMU to a 2-1 overtime victory on Friday in Harrisonburg, Va. It was the first overtime game for the Mountaineers this season and the first overtime game since Oct. 21, 2022, where the Black & Gold defeated Ball State in double overtime.
Kassie Paul was the hero of Friday’s contest, netting her first career goal and the game-winning goal in the 67th minute of the match. Paul is the fourth Mountaineer to score their first career goal this season, joining Jillian Orcutt, Sophia Baxter and Florine Koopman.
Junior goalkeeper Claire Grenis made her first career start between the posts for the Mountaineers and recorded the first win of her career. The Manlius, N.Y., native saved three shots on eight JMU attempts and only allowed one goal.
The win was the second consecutive victory for the Mountaineers over the Dukes.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers come into this matchup with No. 17 Wake Forest having won 14 of their last 16 games dating back to last season. App State has also won six straight regular season road games heading into this road matchup with the Demon Deacons.
Head coach Emily Dinsmore has won four of her first five games as head coach of the Mountaineers. She is the first App State field hockey head coach to do this since Vi Clarke won four of her first five games as head coach in 1972.
App State currently leads the MAC in seven different categories, including goals (10), assists (12), points (32), scoring margin (0.80), goals per game (2.00), goals allowed (6), goals allowed per game (1.20) and are second in save percentage (.786).
The Mountaineer defense has held their opposition scoreless in seven of the last eight quarters and 16 of 21 quarters for the season. The team posted their first shutout of the season on Sunday against Davidson, beating them 1-0.
With Kassie Paul’s goal and Leah Hurwitz’s assists on Friday, 12 different Mountaineers have tallied a point this season. Of those 12 players, 10 have recorded multiple points and seven players have found the back of the cage. Charlotte Bosma and Florine Koopman lead the charge offensively with six points each.
Scouting the Demon Deacons
No. 17 Wake Forest is 2-2 on the young season. The team has not played since last Sunday where they beat James Madison 1-0 at home. The Demon Deacons have played two ranked opponents so far this season, losing to No. 7 Iowa 4-0 and beating No. 4 Michigan 1-0.
The No. 17 Demon Deacons are led offensively by freshman midfielder Ava Moore who has scored two of the three Wake Forest goals this season and has recorded four points. Goalkeeper Ellie Todd has played 231 minutes in the cage for Wake Forest and has saved 16 shots.
Series History
The Mountaineers and the Demon Deacons have squared off 54 previous times, making it the second-most matchups against a single opponent in App State program history. Wake Forest leads the all-time series 17-36-1.
App State welcomed the then No. 15 Demon Deacons to Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field on Sept. 25, 2022, with Wake Forest grabbing a 3-2 overtime win. Henriette Stegen and Rachel Fleig both recorded fourth quarter goals in the loss. The loss was the only home loss of the 2022 season for the Mountaineers.
Goalkeeper Addie Clark played a good game against Wake Forest in 2022, recording seven saves on 10 shots on goal.
Coach’s Thoughts
“We are looking forward to playing another highly competitive team on Sunday,” coach Dinsmore said. “We have a lot of respect for Wake Forest, and we know we are in for a battle on Sunday.”
Up Next
App State will open MAC conference play by traveling to Louisville, Ky., to take on the Bellarmine Knights on Friday. First touch from Trager Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on the BU Sports Network.
