No. 5 Wake Forest Men’s Soccer can’t get past St. John's, draw 0-0

Demon Deacons struggle to convert on early chances, maintain clean sheet

Wake Forest's Harvey Sarajian (10) goes for a ball along the left wing of the pitch, attempting to get past St. John's Godwin Partey (30). | Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

After being nationally ranked in the top 5 for the first time this season, Wake Forest Men's Soccer hosted the St. John's Red Storm at Spry Stadium on Sunday night, resulting in a 0-0 draw.

The Demon Deacons came into the match on a two-game win streak, having defeated the likes of UCF and Oral Roberts during the start of their five-match homestand. Ranked 6th in the country in the preseason, Head Coach Bobby Muuss had gotten his Demon Deacons into the top-five in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, thanks to spectacular play from stars like Cooper Flax.

EARLY CHANCES

Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Wake Forest failed to capitalize on offensive chances against the Red Storm, despite an intense amount of pressure placed early on against St. John's goalkeeper Alec McLachlan.

Early chemistry brewed between transfer newcomers Harvey Sarajian (Georgia Southern) and Ethan Subachan (Louisville). Sarajian, starting at left wing in Muuss' 4-3-3 setup, linked up with Subachan multiple times in the buildup of offensive chances, including a first-minute chance in which Subachan skied a one-time volley above the crossbar.

Later on, Sarajian, Subachan, and fellow winger Jeffrey White each got chances at a go-ahead goal, but netminding prowess from McLachlan saw those chances erased quickly. McLachlan also put away a clear chance from freshman forward Chandler Young, who intercepted a bad pass from Red Storm defender Julian Jakupovic and sent a shot inches outside the left goalpost.

"To dominate the game in possession and have a couple of real, clear, one-on-one chances and not finish, it's disappointing," Muuss said via post-match statement.

SECOND HALF STRUGGLES

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After the whistle blew to start the second half, the Demon Deacons continued to create offensive chances, flustering the Red Storm defense.

In the 75th minute, Wake Forest fullback Amoni Thomas received the ball on the right wing, attempting to cut inside at the 18-yard mark. There, Thomas' shin met the cleat of a lunging Jakupovic, who made a dangerous challenge to stop the play in its tracks. A yellow card was issued to Jakupovic for the tackle, and the Demon Deacons had a prime opportunity coming off of a set piece.

Wake Forest took advantage. After a pass sent into the box from Demon Deacon captain Cooper Flax, the ball met the feet of Jose Perez, launching a low shot towards McLachlan. Despite the goalkeeper's best efforts at a deflection, White caught a rebound of the ball at his feet and sent it into the back of the net- anticipating the goal to be a game-winner.

Yet, the goal would not stand- White stood in an offside position in the buildup of the play, according to VAR (Video Assistant Referee). The Demon Deacon goal would be called back, and Wake Forest would remain scoreless until the end of the match, finishing in a goalless draw, 0-0.

"I think our heads are down because we drew," Muuss said. "That shows a little bit of the culture and the expectations of the program. At the same time, I think we look back at this game and say that this is a game that I think we should have found ways to win."

KEEPIN' IT CLEAN

Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

The good news to come out of the result? The Demon Deacons have only let up a single goal throughout three matches, with back-to-back clean sheets in the last two appearances.

“On the positive, we kept a clean sheet, we stayed healthy, and we move on to the next one,” Muuss said. “That's college soccer. You can't dwell on this, but it is a clean sheet.”

The back line has held strong throughout the first 270 minutes of the regular season, led by experienced defenders Travis Smith, Jr., and Thomas. Smith, a junior center back from Louisville, Ky., was a key part in last season’s conference championship run, starting alongside Thomas in last season’s ACC Championship Final.

That championship experience and chemistry have transferred over to the new season, with Smith and Thomas joining graduate student Christian Escribano and sophomore Mason Sullivan in playing a full 90 minutes against the Red Storm.

The clean sheet also meant spectacular play around the net from redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jonah Mednard, who replaced four-year starter Trace Alphin after the latter ran out of eligibility (and was drafted by Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft).

With four minutes remaining in the match, Red Storm midfielder Gabe Smyth lobbed a weak header towards the goalkeeper off of a cross, with Mednard easily handling the shot into his arms. The shot was the only recorded chance on goal that Mednard had faced over the night— a testament to his spatial awareness and the strength of his defenders in front of him.

Mednard and the Demon Deacons next host the Lipscomb Bison at Spry Stadium on Friday night, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.