HIGH POINT, N.C. – Goals from Wake Forest’s freshmen duo of Rachel Nuzzolese and Katie Stengel propelled the No. 22 Demon Deacons to a 2-1 win at High Point on Friday. With her game-winning goal, Stengel extended her goal-scoring streak to five games. The Melbourne, Fla. native has netted the game winner in each of the Deacons’ last four victories.

 

With the win, Wake Forest improves to 6-2-0 on the season while High Point falls to 2-6-0.

 

The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the second half on a goal from Katie Taber, but the Deacs turned up the pressure and got scores from Nuzzolese and Stengel in the 67th and 78th minutes to secure their first come-from-behind victory of the season.

 

Stengel’s goal was her seventh of the season, good for the team lead, and she is the first Demon Deacon to score in five straight games since Jill Hutchinson put together a five-game streak in 2008. Marisa Park notched her first assist of the year on the Stengel goal.

 

Nuzzolese found the net for the sixth time this season to extend her team-leading scoring mark to 16 points.

 

Aubrey Bledsoe played the full 90 minutes in goal for Wake Forest, earning her sixth win while making three saves.

 

Andrea Ritchie took the loss for the Panthers, making four saves and allowing two goals.       

 

The Deacs had the better of the early play as a nice combination sequence between Jackie McSally and Stengel in the fourth minute gave McSally an open shot at the top of the box, but she pushed it wide of the left post.

 

McSally had another opportunity in the eighth minute when a corner kick from Nuzzolese found her head, but the header from six yards went just over the crossbar.

 

High Point threatened to take an early lead in the 15th minute when Bledsoe got a fingertip on a shot from Kelly Joline, pushing it off of the left post. The Panthers hit the woodwork again in the 18th minute when a free kick from Taber clanged off the crossbar.

 

HPU’s Danielle Schepler put a hard shot on frame in the 43rd minute, but Bledsoe was in perfect position to make the save, and the teams entered the half tied 0-0.

 

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute when Taber scored on a header off of assists from Sammy Vercellino and Kelli Joline.

 

The Deacs almost answered right back off the kickoff when Nuzzolese launched a shot from 40 yards that bounced off of the top of the crossbar.  

 

Wake Forest evened the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute when Casey Luckhurst drew a foul 20 yards from goal and Nuzzolese stroked the ensuing free kick untouched into the back of the net.

 

Katie Stengel put the Deacs ahead 2-1 in the 78th minute when she took a pass from Marisa Park at the top of the box and rocketed a low shot past a diving goalie.

 

Wake Forest will face its first ranked opponent of the season on Sunday afternoon at Spry Stadium when it hosts No. 20 South Carolina. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.