CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  The Charlotte men’s soccer squad came out energized and played their most well-rounded game of the season, taking down No. 11 Wake Forest in impressive fashion, 2-0, Tuesday night at Transamerica Field.

Right from the get-go, Charlotte attacked the Demon Deacons. Three minutes into period, junior Evan James received a cross from senior Andres Cuero and headed the ball just wide of the net. The 49ers followed that up with another great opportunity, as sophomore Jennings Rex dribbled past a Wake defender and the Demon Deacons’ goalie Akira Fitzgerald and lined up for a shot at the open net, but the strike sailed just wide of the post.

“We looked phenomenal, with the intensity that we came out with we took the game right to Wake Forest,” head coach Jeremy Gunn said. “We created great chances right from the start. We could not have asked for a better game.”

With all the great chances Charlotte got in the early-going, it received a little help from Wake to get on the scoreboard. James retrieved a ball on the left side of the box and fired a cross across the box. Fitzgerald and junior defender for Wake Kyle Adams suffered a miscommunication, and Fitzgerald punched the ball off Adams’ shin into his own goal for the 49ers’ first score in the 32nd minute.

The 49ers did not let up after seizing the momentum, as seven minutes later the Niners orchestrated another goal. Freshman Tyler Gibson controlled the ball on the 49ers’ side of the field before delivering an accurate long pass to sophomore Donnie Smith. Smith collected the ball and dribbled toward the right side of the opponent’s box and found a streaking James with his cross. James held off a Wake defender and kicked the ball, redirecting it past Fitzgerald’s hand into the net to give Charlotte the 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.

“We knew we had to come out strong because it was Wake Forest,” James said. “Coach told us to come out strong and keep playing. We exploited their weaknesses [on offense] and played good Charlotte soccer, keeping the ball out of our net.”

The defense took over in the second half as sophomore goalie Patrick Eavenson and junior defenders Isaac Cowles and Charles Rodriguez played stalwart defense against the high-powered attack of the Demon Deacons. Eavenson tallied five saves in the contest, three in the second half, and Cowles and Rodriguez would not allow Wake to put together a legitimate threat in the second half. The offense stayed aggressive as well keeping the Demon Deacons on their toes with five second-half shots, three on goal.

Both teams recorded 12 shots in the match, with James leading the way for the 49ers, registering four shots, and junior T.J. Beaulieu notched three of his own. Fitzgerald managed three saves for Wake Forest, and midfield Ben Newnam led the way for the Demon Deacons with three shots.

With the victory, Charlotte won their second match in a row over perennial-power Wake Forest since the two squads resurrected the series last year. In the two bouts, the 49ers out-scored the Demon Deacons  5-1.

The 49ers return to the pitch on Saturday in Buies Creek, N.C., for a matchup with Campbell at 7 p.m. Results will be available on charlotte49ers.com.