WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – No. 16 LSU Soccer (0-1-0) battled No. 18 Wake Forest (1-0-0) for 90 minutes in a tightly contested top-20 season opener Wednesday night at Spry Stadium, but the Demon Deacons pulled away late to secure the 2-0 victory.
The Tigers and Demon Deacons played to a scoreless draw through the opening 45 minutes, with both teams recording eight shots and LSU holding Wake Forest without a goal despite a pair of early saves from goalkeeper Audur Scheving.
LSU created several chances of its own in the opening half. Sophomore Sariyah Bailey forced a save from Wake Forest goalkeeper Valentina Amaral in the 21st minute, while senior Ava Galligan had three shots in a seven-minute span midway through the half. Freshman Ryleigh Albin also put a shot on target in the 31st minute, but Amaral made the save to keep the match scoreless.
The Tigers continued to pressure early in the second half, earning four corner kicks in the opening 12 minutes. Senior Brielyn Knowles put a shot on target in the 54th minute, but Amaral again came up with the save.
Wake Forest broke through in the 69th minute when Dempsey Brown scored the first goal of the match, giving the Demon Deacons a 1-0 advantage.
LSU continued to push for the equalizer and nearly found it through junior Linka Ono, who recorded back-to-back shots on target in the 76th minute. Amaral turned both attempts away, however, preserving Wake Forest's lead.
The Demon Deacons added an insurance goal in the 87th minute when Kylie Maxwell found the back of the net off assists from Lola Ressler and Riley Cross.
No. 16 LSU finished the night with 14 shots, including five on target, while Wake Forest recorded 17 shots and seven on target. The Tigers held an 8-6 advantage in corner kicks, and both teams finished with five saves. LSU goalkeeper Audur Scheving made five saves in her LSU debut.
Galligan led the Tigers with five shots, while Bailey finished with three shots and one on target. Ono recorded both of LSU's shots on goal in the final 15 minutes.
The season-opening contest marked the first top-20 matchup of the 2026 campaign for LSU, which entered the season ranked No. 16 nationally. Wake Forest was ranked No. 18.
LSU returns to action Sunday, August 16, when the Tigers host Northwestern State for their home opener at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.