WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 22 Wake Forest women’s soccer team fell 1-0 to No. 20 South Carolina on Sunday afternoon at Spry Stadium in the final non-conference match of the 2010 season.

 

The Demon Deacons drop to 6-3-0 on the season while the Gamecocks improve to 6-2-1.

 

Wake outshot South Carolina 13-4, and the Gamecocks put only one shot on frame, but Danielle Au’s goal from 23 yards in the 20th minute was good enough to send USC home with a win.

 

The Deacons had numerous chances, especially towards the end of the match, but were unable to crack the strong South Carolina defense that entered the week ranked sixth in NCAA Division I with a 0.273 team goals against average. It is the first time that Wake has been shutout this season.

 

Rachel Nuzzolese led all players with four shots, including two in the final 10 minutes of the game that went just outside the post. Katie Stengel had her goal-scoring streak snapped at five games – tied for the longest in school history.

 

Aubrey Bledsoe played the entire game in net for the Demon Deacons. Mollie Patton picked up the win for South Carolina, making four saves and recording her sixth shutout of the season.

 

South Carolina scored on their first chance of the game in the 20th minute when Danielle Au took a pass from Maria Petroni and rocketed a shot from 23 yards into the upper corner of the net.

 

Less than a minute later, the Demon Deacons were called for a foul in the box, but the Gamecocks’ Brittiny Rhoades launched the ensuing penalty kick over the top of the goal.

 

Wake Forest had its best chance in the 30th minute, when a combination play between Victoria Delbono and Stengel put Delbono one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but she pushed the shot just wide of the left post.

 

In the 60th minute, Caralee Keppler found a loose ball in the box following a corner kick, but her shot went just over the crossbar.

 

With just over 10 minutes remaining in the game, Nuzzolese created some space and took a strong shot that sailed wide of the post.

 

In the 90th minute, a pretty passing sequence between Nuzzolese and Jackie McSally gave Nuzzolese an open shot from the top of the box, but it went just over the crossbar.

 

Nuzzolese broke free in the box with less than five seconds remaining in the game, but was unable to get a shot off, leaving the Gamecocks victorious.

 

The Deacons will kick off the ACC season with two games next week, traveling to face No. 17 Duke at 7 p.m. on Thursday before returning home to host Clemson on Sunday at 1 p.m. A live stream of the Clemson game will be available on WakeForestSports.com via the CBS Sports All-Access package.