Men's Week 5: Three things we learned this weekend
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Sep 28, 2015
1. Demon Deacons don't miss a beat under Muuss.
A change of coaches has not impacted Wake Forest. Longtime head coach Jay Vidovich surprised everyone when he left after last season to become the head coach of the new Portland Timbers FC II of the USL. Vidovich was replaced by former Denver coach, Bobby Muuss, who has the No. 16 Demon Deacons off to a 7-1-1 start after a 2-1 win at No. 6 Akron and 1-1 tie with No. 5 Clemson. It's the best start since the 2008 team that opened with 13 straight wins.
Jon Bakero, son of former Spanish great Jose Bakero, tallied his fourth goal of the season and third in as many games to earn the tie after falling behind in the 32nd minute against Clemson. Bakero had put Wake ahead against Akron and a penalty kick by Michael Gamble was the winner.
Bakero is one of two Wake starters who are the sons for former World Cup players. Ian Harkes, son of John Harkes, is the leader of the midfield that also includes former U.S. U-18 Jacori Hayes and Englishman Jack Harrison, the 2015 Gatorade High School Player of the Year.
Wake has one of the youngest teams in the ACC with just one senior starter, Gamble, but sits in second place in the standings with a 2-0-1 conference record, behind only 3-0-0 North Carolina.
Men's Top 25 Matchups, Week 5:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
No. 6 Akron 1 (Laryea 30) No. 16 Wake Forest 2 (Bakero 21, Gamble pen. 51). Att.: 2,516.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
No. 13 Georgetown 2 (Muyl 53, Basuljevic 83) No. 15 Maryland 1 (Elney 69). Att. : 891.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
No. 12 Notre Dame 3 (Gormley 36, Panken 78, Klekota 81) No. 4 Virginia 1 (Wharton pen. 79). Att.: 1,726.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
No. 16 Wake Forest 1 (Bakero 63) No. 5 Clemson 1 (Casner 32). Att.: 2,346.
2. Akron is almost unstoppable on the road.
Akron recovered from the 2-1 loss to Wake Forest to beat UC Santa Barbara, 2-0, on the road in front of 7,283 fans on Friday. The win followed away victories over ranked Georgetown (1-0) and Maryland (3-2).
"It was a complete performance tonight," Akron head coach Jared Embick said. "The team played well and we worked very hard for the victory. We had great individual performances all over the field. We attacked and defended well. Not many people come into UCSB and come out with a victory. We couldn't be any prouder of the team."
Goals from sophomores Sam Gainford (his team-leading fifth goal of the season) and Stuart Holthusen improved the Zips' record to 5-2-1. Besides the loss to Wake Forest, Akron lost at Old Dominion, 4-1, on the first weekend of the season. It has arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the country with home matches against Penn State, Santa Clara, Michigan State and UCLA still on the schedule.
3. St. Francis' Coisne is in his own world on penalty kicks.
Defender Cyril Coisne says he practices taking penalty kicks, so he wasn't fazed when with less than three minutes remaining in the second overtime against Albany, he stepped up to take a spot kick with the game on the line. The junior converted him spot kick to give St. Francis (N.Y.) a 1-0 victory at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
It was the second time in four days Coisne, one of four French starters who have found their way to Brooklyn, scored the game-winner from the penalty spot. His goal on Wednesday was the first in a 2-0 win over Rhode Island for the Terriers, who are 7-0-2 and have allowed just one goal in nearly 900 minutes of play.
"I enjoy being in those situations and we practice them a lot," said Coisne of his penalty kicks. "I like the tension and I'm really able to stay in my own world and concentrate on the goalkeeper."
Men's Unbeatens:
W-L-T TEAM
8-0-0 Creighton
7-0-1 Denver
7-0-1 North Carolina
7-0-2 St. Francis, N.Y.
6-0-1 Coastal Carolina
6-0-2 New Hampshire
4-0-3 Butler
QUESTION TO SA AUTHORS: DO WEST COAST TEAMS FINISH TOO LATE TO MEET THE PUBLISHING DEADLINE AND THEREFORE THAT IS WHY THERE IS NO NEWS TO REPORT ABOUT SCORES???