WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Appalachian State University men's soccer was unable to get the upset against 21st-ranked Wake Forest despite battling hard, falling 3-0 on Tuesday evening.
"Once again, I'm very pleased with the effort and commitment of the guys," head coach Jason O'Keefe said. "They battled and got what we were looking for out of the first 38 minutes. After that, we regrouped at halftime and did the same thing for the next 40 minutes. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed with the last five minutes but we'll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Marshall on Saturday."
The Mountaineers (0-3) struggled to make any headway on the attack in the first half against the tough nationally ranked defensive in the Demon Deacons (3-1-0) as sophomore goalkeeper Jake Chasteen kept the Deacs at bay for much of the first half. Chasteen got all six of his saves in the first half before Ian Harkes was able to find the net, getting a goal in the 38th minute on a penalty kick.
The battle continued over the midfield as Jordan Melia and Cooper Coughlin held strong for much of the match. Also helping in the fight was Raheem Somersall and Graham Smalley.
In the second half, the Mountaineers were able to get good looks at the goal, having both Coughlin and Stephen Chapman get shots in the second half.
However, it was Tane Gent who would find a way to get the ball in the net twice in the second half as App State went all in to try and equalize the match. Gent scored at the 85th and 90th minutes, sealing the win.
Chasteen played the entire match for the Mountaineers, getting the six saves and only allowing the two goals despite facing a total of 23 shots.
App State will finish its season-opening road trip at Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. before returning for their home opener on Sept. 13 against USC Upstate. Kickoff for the home match is at 7 p.m.
