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The No. 4 Wake Forest women’s soccer team came from behind to beat top-ranked North Carolina 3-1 on Sunday night, Oct. 18, 2026, at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons (11-2-1, 4-2-1 ACC) fell behind early, then scored twice in the first half and once more right after the break to hand the Tar Heels (12-2-0, 5-1-0 ACC) their third loss of the season.
How Wake Forest Women’s Soccer Beat North Carolina
North Carolina scored the opening goal in the 13th minute. Wake Forest responded quickly.
- 21st minute, Henley Tippins: The graduate student forward headed home an equalizer off a corner. Sophomore midfielder Riley Cross and redshirt-junior defender Sierra Sythe set up the play.
- Moments later, Allie Flanagan: The sophomore forward converted an empty-net chance to put the Deacs up 2-1. Cross and Sythe were credited with assists.
- 58th minute, Kylie Maxwell: Just 57 seconds into the second half, the sophomore forward put away her own rebound after her first shot was saved. Senior forward Kaitlyn Sasadeusz, making her first start for Wake Forest, had delivered the cross.
Cross assisted on both first-half goals and now leads the team with six assists this season.
Valentina Amaral and the Backline Hold Off the Tar Heels
North Carolina held 63 percent of the possession in the first half and pushed for an equalizer after the break, but Wake Forest’s defense held firm.
Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Valentina Amaral made six saves, including a leaping stop in the 79th minute and another off a Tar Heel corner two minutes later. Sophomore defender Tahlia Zadeyan blocked a shot in the box and cleared another chance in the 71st minute, and Sythe cleared a UNC forward out of danger late. Defenders Sammi Wiemann, Zadeyan and Sythe all played the full 90 minutes.
Amaral has been a rock for the Deacs all season:
- Conference-best numbers: She leads the ACC with a 0.62 goals-against average and a .843 save percentage this season.
- Career résumé: In 55 appearances and 51 starts, she has 19 individual shutouts, six combined shutouts and 33 wins.
- Program record: Her 0.79 career goals-against average is the best in Wake Forest history. She also set the single-season program record of 0.69 in 2024.
A Rare Win Over a No. 1 Team
Additionally, Sunday’s win was Wake Forest’s second ever against the No. 1 team. The first came in September 2024, when the Deacs beat Stanford 1-0 at Spry Stadium.
Furthermore, it also puts the program in a small group. Women’s soccer is believed to be one of seven Wake Forest programs to knock off the nation’s top-ranked team, along with baseball, field hockey, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s golf. Four of those programs have beaten a No. 1 opponent twice within a two-year span: women’s soccer (Sept. 2024 and Oct. 2026), baseball (April 1977), men’s tennis (April 2016) and women’s golf (April and Sept. 2025).
The win also adds to Wake Forest’s list of victories over top-five opponents, which now includes:
- No. 1 North Carolina, 3-1 (Oct. 18, 2026)
- No. 1 Stanford, 1-0 (Sept. 19, 2024)
- No. 2 Virginia, 3-0 (Sept. 15, 2024)
- No. 2 Duke, 2-1 (Oct. 31, 2021)
Milestones From the Win
- Kylie Maxwell: Scored her fourth goal of the season and the 10th of her career.
- Henley Tippins: Scored her 24th career goal, her fourth for Wake Forest, and reached 10 points as a Deac.
- Allie Flanagan: Reached 20 career points with her goal and made her 30th career start.
- Sierra Sythe: Recorded her 40th career point.
The Spry Stadium Advantage
Wake Forest is 34-4-9 at home since the start of 2022, with just two losses over the past three seasons. Sunday’s win was another example of the home edge.
Coach da Luz Praises the Team’s Resilience
Coach da Luz said he was incredibly proud of the team and credited its resilience, character and collective fight. He singled out the front three of Maxwell, Tippins and Flanagan for finishing clinically, praised the defensive effort and called Amaral fantastic.
What’s Next for Wake Forest Women’s Soccer
The Demon Deacons hit the road to face the Virginia Tech Hokies on Thursday, Oct. 22, in Blacksburg, Va. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the match streams on ACCNX.
Source: Wake Forest Athletics game recap, Oct. 18, 2026.
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