Wake Forest Scores Late Slips By FSU 3-2 Freshman Amanda DaCosta tallies three points on a goal and an assist in the loss.

10/26/07

Winston-Salem, N.C. – No. 18 Wake Forest (9-5-3, 4-2-2) scored a goal with 43 seconds remaining to down No. 10 Florida State (10-4-2, 5-2-1) 3-2, completing the come-from-behind victory Thursday night at Spry Stadium. The match, played in cold and rainy conditions throughout the game, was suspended with 2:30 remaining due to lightning in the area. When play resumed Wake’s Jill Hutchinson scored the second of her two goals to hand the Seminoles just their second loss in league play this season. The defeat snapped the Seminoles’ six game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) while it is just the first loss suffered by FSU in the month of October.

Florida State entered the game 4-0-2 in its last six games against Wake Forest, but Hutchinson proved to be the difference maker Thursday night scoring a pair of second half goals to lead the Demon Deacons to victory on Senior Night.

Wake Forest out shot Florida State 16-12 for the game, while holding a 4-2 corner kick advantage.

“Wake Forest is a good team,” said head coach Mark Krikorian. “They play good soccer and presented some challenges for us tonight that we haven’t seen very much of this year. We definitely had our chances, but were unable to put the ball away. The only thing we can do now is go back to work and get better.”

Freshman Amanda DaCosta led the Seminoles with three points on a goal and an assist, while Kirsten van de Ven tallied the other Florida State goal.

“The conditions were tough to play in, especially coming back from that rain delay,” added DaCosta. “We definitely had our chances tonight, but we couldn’t seem to put the ball away. It was very frustrating.”

Florida State countered with the game’s first goal on a failed clear by the Demon Deacon defense in the 16th minute. Wake Forest goalkeeper Amanda Barasha came sliding in to pick up the loose ball but got tangled up with her own teammate. The ball trickled back towards the goal and freshman Amanda DaCosta was there for the empty netter to give the Seminoles a 1-0 lead. The goal was DaCosta’s third of the season, as she has now tallied a point in back-to-back games for the second time this season.

The lead lasted all of 54 seconds as the Deacs tied the game at one on a goal by Amy Smerdzinski. Sarah Winslow started the play sending a cross into the box from the right side of the pitch. Katrin Schmidt collected the ball in the box but slipped on an attempted clear. The ball went right to Smerdzinski who found the back of the net from 10 yards out.

Both teams exchanged a pair of shots before the Seminoles recaptured the lead in the 33rd minute on a goal by senior midfielder Kirsten van de Ven. The play started as Florida State was awarded a throw in on its half of the pitch. The ball went to Schmidt, who made a quick pass to DaCosta. The freshman midfielder dribbled toward the middle of the field where she found van de Ven streaking toward the goal. The Holland native zigzagged her way through the Wake defense sneaking a goal passed Barasha for 2-1 advantage.

Wake threatened one more time before the half but the Seminoles caught a break as Winslow’s shot caromed off the crossbar in the 38th minute.

Florida State came out of the locker room looking to add to its lead with a trio of shots from Schmidt, DaCosta and Mami Yamaguchi. DaCosta had the best look of the three as her shot was saved by Wake keeper Laura Morse, who entered the game at the start of the second half.

The next eight minutes belonged to the Demon Deacons as they threw a barrage of shots on goal toward Seminole goalkeeper Erin McNulty. Wake would break through yet again as they tied the game for a second time Thursday evening, this time on a goal by Hutchinson in the 61st minute. The Deacs fired a series of shots which were blocked by the Seminole defense. After bouncing around in the FSU zone, Smerdzinski tracked the ball down on the right side where she sent a cross into Hutchinson, who headed the ball into the left side of the net to knot things up at 2-2.

Less than a minute after checking into the game, freshman Rachel Lim had a great look on goal in the 75th minute but her shot went high over the crossbar to keep the game tied.

With two minutes and 30 seconds left in the second half, the game was called due lightning in the area. Following a 48 minute weather delay, play resumed at 9:32 p.m. and it took Wake Forest just one minute and 43 seconds to take its first lead of the game. Hutchinson struck again as she fired a shot from the top of the box. With McNulty diving to her right for a save, the ball took an awkward bounce deflecting off a Seminole defender and into the right side of the net for the game-winner.

Florida State will next face Duke in Durham on Sunday, October 28 at 12 noon. As always, fans can follow all the action over the Internet as live stats will be provided by Goduke.com. The game will also be shown live on ACC Select.