Jackie Logue is becoming an offensive weapon for the Wake Forest women's soccer team.
Logue, a defender, scored her second goal in two weekend games, and the Deacons advanced to NCAA tournament quarterfinals, defeating Penn State 4-2 in a third-round game Sunday at Spry Stadium.
"It was my weekend," said Logue, who had scored only one goal all season before Friday night, when she had the winning goal in a 2-0 victory against Boston University.
Sophomore Katie Stengel, who broke her own single-season scoring record Friday night with a goal and an assist, added two goals for the top-seeded Deacons, and goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe had a career-best 11 saves.
Wake Forest will meet Central Florida in a quarterfinal match Friday at Spry Stadium, with the winner moving on to the College Cup.
Penn State, the Big Ten regular-season champion, surprised Wake Forest with an early goal for a 1-0 lead less than 10 minutes in. Rachel Nuzzolese's ill-advised back pass gave Maya Hayes, the nation's leading scorer, an easy opportunity.
However, Wake Forest came right back with the equalizer, with Logue scoring just 24 seconds later on a shot from deep on the left side.
"I'm not the finisher," said Logue, a 5-foot-8 junior. "Usually, I'm just setting other people up. I think someone screened the goalie, and she didn't know where it was. And it ended up getting inside the net."
Coach Tony da Luz was impressed with his team's resolve.
"The way we answered their first goal was incredible," he said. "To tie it up and then move on, it shows great character and what our team is all about."
Midfielder Ally Berry's rocket shot from just outside the box into the top left corner of the net with 17:35 left in the first half gave the Deacons a lead they never lost.
"Goals came from different places," da Luz said.
"Jackie's goal, she's our left back, she scores. Ally Berry's goal off a layoff from Katie was just tremendous.
"And Katie's goals…."
Stengel scored her goals in the second half, the first on a tremendous individual effort on which she dribbled around a defender and ripped a sharp-angled shot to the far post, over goalkeeper Erin McNulty.
The second came on a breakaway to make it 4-1.
Penn State's Hayes ended the scoring with her 31st goal.
For the game, the Nittany Lions outshot the Deacons 22-11.
"You've got to be opportunistic, and they were a bit more than we were," coach Erica Walsh of Penn State said. "We had 22 shots and were only able to put two away. I thought their goalkeeper, Bledsoe, was outstanding."
It was a happy birthday for Bledsoe, who turned 20 on Sunday.
"Aubrey made a couple of fantastic saves, if not a few more," da Luz said. "She's our anchor back there."
Stengel now has 34 career goals (18 this season) and is just two short of the school record of 36. And she has two years left at Wake Forest.
Logue, on the other hand, was kidding with Stengel and Bledsoe after goals in two straight games.
"I'm on a two-game goal streak," she said. "What else can I say?"
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