Wake Forest has unfinished business

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Dec 14, 2007

[WAKE FOREST PREVIEW] Wake Forest is the only returnee from last year's Men's College Cup in St. Louis.

In their first appearance in the semifinals, the Demon Deacons fell to eventual champion UC Santa Barbara.

"I think that most of us still remember that day," says midfield general Sam Cronin, "and it's kind of driven us through the summer and the spring to get back here."

Wake is not only back, but it is the favorite to win its first national championship.

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

1. The Demon Deacons like to control the tempo so they must maintain possession of the ball. Sam Cronin, whom the players call "the Franchise," will have to have a big game.

2. Wake shut down Notre Dame star Joseph Lapira in the quarterfinals, and they will have to do the same to Virginia Tech's Patrick Nyarko.

3. The Deacons' bench is easily the strongest in the country. The top three players off the bench have combined for 16 goals and 16 assists. Austin da Luz won the Notre Dame game with a golden goal.

STARTERS:
GOALKEEPER
1 Brian Edwards (SR Charlotte, N.C.) 0.50 GAA

DEFENDERS
4 Julian Valentin (SR  Lancaster, Pa.) 3-2-8
23 Ike Opara (FR Durham, N.C.) 1-1-3
30 Lyle Adams (JR Orlando, Fla.) 4-2-10
18 Evan Brown (JR Raleigh, N.C.) 1-6-8

MIDFIELDERS
2 Sam Cronin (JR Winston-Salem, N.C.) 3-7-13
5 Patrick Phelan (SR Enfield, Conn.) 2-4-8
11 Jamie Franks (JR Medford, N.J.) 1-3-5
13 Michael Lahoud (JR Reston, Va,) 4-4-12

FORWARDS
9  Marcus Tracy (JR Newtown, Conn.) 8-8-24
17 Cody Arnoux (SO Wilmington, N.C.) 15-7-37

KEY RESERVES:
6 Austin da Luz (SO Winston-Salem, N.C.) 3-13-19
10 Corben Bone (FR Dallas, Texas) 5-8-18
12 Zack Schilawski (SO Cary, N.C.) 8-3-19