Senior Kaley Fountain called it a curse, but after her two assists for the Wake Forest women's soccer team helped engineer a 3-0 win over West Virginia yesterday at Spry Stadium, the curse has been lifted.
The Deacons, who hit a roadblock in the second round of the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, finally got over the hump and advanced to the third round to face South Carolina next weekend in Columbia, S.C.
Fountain had the first assist, to fellow senior Jill Hutchinson, who blasted in the short shot 20 minutes in for a 1-0 lead. Hutchinson, who is battling through a groin injury, was healthy enough to play most of the first half and gave the Deacons a big lift.
"It's really been a curse for us, but we're finally past it," said Fountain, who also assisted on Ally Berry's goal 14 minutes later to make it 3-0. "I think the curse has really gotten to us, especially us seniors."
After Hutchinson's first goal, the Deacons weren't satisfied and kept applying pressure. On the second goal, Casey Luckhurst, who helped the Deacons win their first-round game on Friday night against Kennesaw State, scored off a great pass from Jackie Logue on a free kick.
Logue was about 35 yards out but lofted the ball high over several West Virginia players and Luckhurst headed it in from about 6 yards out.
Coach Tony da Luz, whose team was 1-6 in second-round games in the NCAA Tournament before yesterday, last reached the third round in 1999. However, his team had one of its most complete efforts of the season and it came at the right time.
"From Day One, even before the tournament pairings were announced, we just told them this was the present, we are not looking at the past," da Luz said. "It's a whole new group so I tried to constantly make them think good thoughts."
Wearing a new lucky hat given to him by Ron Wellman, the athletics director, da Luz was all smiles when asked about finally getting past the second round. The old-school Wake Forest gold baseball hat has an oversized brim and it's more yellow than gold.
"We were over at his house one day and he said ‘Wear this hat,' and when your boss says wear a hat you wear a hat," da Luz said.
"So I'm going to wear it from now on."
Last season, when the Deacons lost 1-0 in the second round to James Madison, da Luz was disappointed they weren't a better scoring team. This season they have improved in that area by moving Fountain to the front line.
While the Deacons (15-5-2) are a better scoring team, their defense is still solid. The defense held the Mountaineers (10-7-6) to a season-low six shots. Goalies Amanda Barasha and Laura Morse, who played the final 14 minutes, were hardly tested.
"We're good in the back," da Luz said. "We really don't get enough praise for our defending but we have 14 shutouts now and that's two more than we've ever had.
"That's pretty good."
jdell@wsjournal.com
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