Wake Forest women beat NC State

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Kristen Meier scored her first career goal and Jackie Logue netted the game-winner in the 98th minute as Wake Forest earned a 2-1 come-from-behind overtime victory over NC State at Spry Stadium on Thursday night.

The Deacons (9-4-0, 3-1-0 ACC) fell behind in the 28th minute on a goal from NC State’s Kristina Argiroff, but rallied in the second half, tying the game on a 77th minute strike from Meier before Logue scored the game-winner in the 98th minute.

“I’m proud of the way that we bounced back,” said head coach Tony da Luz. “In the second half, I thought we turned around our whole mentality. We created tons of chances in the second half, so I’m really happy with the effort.

Logue had one of her best performances of the season while starting in the midfield for the first time all year. The Mount Laurel, N.J. native assisted on Meier’s goal and scored the game-winner after she out-hustled her defender to reach a Marisa Park through ball and chipped the keeper to record the first multi-point game of her career.

“Jackie just left everything she could possibly have on the field,” said da Luz. “There was no better person in this game to get the game-winning goal.”   

Meier’s goal was the first of her career. The sophomore now has four points on the season.

“Meier did a lot of work out there, and she had nothing in the tank after the game,” said da Luz. “In the second half, our midfield dominated the game. Bianca (D’Agostino) and Jackie McSally, the freshman, did a great job, and I thought Marisa Park had her best game in a Wake Forest uniform. It was a great team effort.”

Wake Forest dominated the offensive side of the game, putting 10 shots on net compared to only one for NC State. Aubrey Bledsoe earned the win in net for the Deacons without having to make a save. Kim Kern made eight saves in a losing effort.

“I was just looking at the stats and I saw that Aubrey didn’t even make a save. Defensively, I thought we were solid,” said da Luz.

The Deacs had the first chance of the game as three minutes into the match, Caralee Keppler directed a strong header off a corner on goal, but Kern was there to make the save.

The Wolfpack took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute when Kristina Argiroff collected a corner kick from Paige Dugal and shot it past Bledsoe and into the net from close range.

The Deacs had their best opportunity of the half in the 41st minute. Katie Stengel took a throw in from Kristen Meier and turned past her defender, unleashing a shot from 13 yards that was snagged by Kern.

Wake Forest came out inspired in the second half, dominating possession and generating numerous chances. Stengel had a golden opportunity to even the game in the 62nd minute when Kern misplayed a ball leaving the net vacant, but Stengel’s shot drifted over the cross bar.

Kristen Meier scored the equalizer in the 77th minute when she got onto the end of a corner kick from Jackie Logue and headed it into the back of the net.

Meier almost netted another in the 80th minute, as she found a cross from Stengel at the back post again, but her header went wide to the left.

Jackie McSally had an opportunity early in the overtime period as a through ball put her one-on-one with the keeper, but her shot was blocked by a sliding Kern.

Logue scored the game-winning goal for the Deacs in the 98th minute when she out-hustled her defender to a through ball from Park and lofted a chip from the left over Kern’s head and into the back of the net.