No. 11 Wake Forest Extends Win Streak With 2-0 Victory Over Iowa

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest (3-0-0) secured its third shutout victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Iowa (2-1-0) on Thursday night at Spry Stadium, marking the Demon Deacons' first win over the Hawkeyes in three meetings since 2000.

Wake Forest jumped ahead almost immediately, as junior midfielder Lola Ressler scored less than a minute into the match. Her goal, coming 46 seconds in, is the third-fastest in program history, trailing only a mark set by Nikki Small against NC State in 2024.

Iowa outshot Wake Forest in the first half, but the Demon Deacons responded out of the break. Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown found Ressler near the top of the box to double the lead in the 52nd minute, with sophomore forward Kylie Maxwell also picking up an assist on the play — the first of the season for both. The goal marked Ressler's second career brace; her first came against Miami on Sept. 10, 2025.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral turned aside eight shots across 90 minutes to secure her third consecutive shutout.

The Spry Stadium Advantage

Wake Forest has posted a 29-3-9 record at home since the start of 2022, with its only loss over the past three seasons coming against then-No. 1 Duke in 2024. Thursday's win extended the Demon Deacons' unbeaten home streak to 19 games, dating back to October 2024. Last season, Wake Forest finished 8-0-3 at Spry Stadium, capped by a 1-1 draw with then-No. 1 Notre Dame to close out the home regular-season slate.

Amaral's Continued Rise

Across 45 career appearances and 41 starts, Amaral has established herself as one of the top goalkeepers in the country. She now has 16 individual career shutouts, five combined shutouts and 26 wins. She closed the 2024 season with the best single-season goals-against average in program history at 0.69, and her career goals-against average of 0.84 currently ranks first in program history, ahead of Aubrey Bledsoe (0.91, 2010-13) and Laura Morse (0.94, 2006-09).

How It Unfolded

Ressler opened the scoring 46 seconds into the match for her second goal of the season. Iowa forced Amaral into saves in the seventh and 16th minutes, while Maxwell tested the Iowa goalkeeper in the 23rd and 29th minutes. At halftime, Iowa led 8-7 in shots, though Wake Forest held a 54-46 possession advantage.

Ressler doubled Wake Forest's lead in the 52nd minute off assists from Maxwell and Brown. Iowa pushed back immediately, forcing another save from Amaral moments later and continuing to press for the remainder of the match. Amaral came up big again in the 76th and 77th minutes to preserve the shutout as Wake Forest closed out the 2-0 win.

Other Notes

Sophomore defender Tahlia Zadeyan and senior defender Sammi Wiemann each made their 10th career start, while senior midfielder Dempsey Brown made her 50th career start. Freshman defender BraqElle Raisey made her first career appearance.

From Coach da Luz

Wake Forest head coach Da Luz praised the team's response to a difficult opponent, noting that Iowa had scored 12 goals in its first two games and calling the shutout a significant statement. Da Luz said the team is managing its emotions well and moving on quickly after mistakes, adding that Amaral is playing with more confidence than he's ever seen from her. He also pointed to missed opportunities in scoring position as an area for continued improvement, noting that the team adds something new and keeps getting better with each game.