In a thrilling final match of the regular season, the University of Louisville men’s soccer team battled hard against the No. 3 ranked Wake Forest, ending the game in a 2-2 draw. The match took place on Friday night at the prestigious Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
With this draw, Louisville finishes the regular season with a record of 9-4-3 overall and 2-4-2 in ACC play. The team will now shift their focus to the highly anticipated ACC Championships, which will commence with the first round on Wednesday.
The game kicked off with Wake Forest taking the lead in the 27th minute, capitalizing on a rebound off the post and finding the back of the net. However, Louisville wasted no time in responding. Just two minutes later, Sander Roed delivered a precise pass into the center of the box, where Brandon McManus laid it off for Bradley Sample. The senior midfielder unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that left the diving goalkeeper with no chance, scoring his first goal of the season and bringing the Cardinals level.
Louisville’s attacking prowess was on display again in the 36th minute. David Boccuzzo whipped in a tempting cross, and Roed smartly left the ball for Gaetano D’Argento at the edge of the box. D’Argento’s shot took a deflection off a defender, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and nestling in the back of the net, putting Louisville ahead 2-1 at halftime, despite only managing two shots in the first half.
As the second half progressed, Wake Forest intensified their attack, leaving Louisville’s defense under constant pressure. With just 10 minutes remaining in the game, the relentless pressure paid off for Wake Forest, as they finally equalized. However, neither team could find the winning goal in the final moments, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Wake Forest outshot Louisville by a considerable margin, having 18 attempts on goal compared to Louisville’s four. Louisville’s goalkeeper, Alex Svetanoff, put in an outstanding performance, making a career-best seven saves to keep his team in the game.
The Louisville men’s soccer team can be followed on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where fans can get updates and behind-the-scenes content. So make sure to keep up with all the latest news and support the Cardinals as they enter into the highly competitive ACC Championships.
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