Wake Forest Secures 1-0 Win Against Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Wake Forest didn’t so much edge past Bowling Green on Monday night as they dug in, bent without breaking, and left Cochrane Stadium with exactly what they came for: a 1-0 road win, a clean sheet, and a little momentum restored.

The difference on the scoreboard came from one moment of clarity in an otherwise scrappy night. With the first half ticking toward the break and the match still goalless, Chandler Young finally cracked it open in the 43rd minute, finishing off the kind of move coaches replay in film sessions for weeks.

Young Strikes, Sullivan Endures

Wake Forest had controlled most of the opening 45 minutes. Seven shots. Four corners. Long stretches of possession. Not much to show for it.

Then the sequence clicked.

Mason Sullivan drove a low ball forward, threading it into a dangerous pocket. At the edge of the box, Marcos Miranda met it with a deft redirect, just enough of a touch to steer it into Young’s path. Young didn’t hesitate. One clean finish, and the Demon Deacons were finally in front.

For Miranda, it was his first assist at the NCAA Division I level. For Sullivan, it was part of a tireless shift that once again stretched the full 90 minutes. The defender was the lone outfield player to go the distance, doing so for the third straight match.

The goal fit the flow. Wake Forest had dictated the tempo before halftime, keeping Bowling Green largely at arm’s length while probing for that one decisive chance. When it came, they punished it.

Mednard Slams the Door

The real story, though, unfolded after the break.

Bowling Green came out of the locker room angry and aggressive. The Falcons fired 14 shots in the second half alone, 19 on the night, and turned the final 45 minutes into a sustained test of Wake Forest’s defensive resolve.

In goal, redshirt junior Jonah Mednard answered everything.

He finished with six saves, four of them after halftime, and never blinked as the pressure mounted. He denied efforts from Lucas Brinkman and Luciano Perez-Cernuda, among others, reading the game well and staying sharp as Bowling Green bombarded the box with shots, long throws, and set pieces.

By the final whistle, Mednard had his second clean sheet in three games and the fifth solo shutout of his career, pushing his career save total to 63. It was also Wake Forest’s first shutout on the road since a 0-0 draw at Duke on Oct. 12, 2024.

In front of him, the back line held its ground. Starters Daniel Krueger, Sullivan, Ronnie Garcia and Travis Smith Jr. anchored the unit, while second-half help from Will Kuisel, Copeland Berkley and Lorenze Currie helped see out wave after wave of Falcons pressure. The defensive group limited truly clear looks despite Bowling Green’s volume of attempts and dangerous restarts.

Wake Forest finished with 12 shots, five on target, five corners and 53 percent of the ball. Bowling Green countered with 19 shots, six on frame, and six corners, many of them coming in that frantic second half.

Responding After Akron

This win closed a demanding two-match road swing through Ohio. On Friday, Wake Forest had gone toe-to-toe with No. 10 Akron, holding the Zips scoreless for more than 83 minutes before suffering a 1-0 defeat late. That loss stung.

Against Bowling Green, the response was clear: tighten up, stick together, and find a way.

Head coach Bobby Muuss had warned his side about what awaited them. Bowling Green’s reputation on set pieces is well known, and the match lived up to the billing. Wake Forest had to deal with roughly 20 long throw-ins and a steady stream of corners, all on a playing surface Muuss openly described as below the standard for high-level Division I soccer.

The conditions forced adjustments. Wake Forest couldn’t always play the way it prefers, but the buy-in was obvious. The Demon Deacons adapted, fought through the chaos, and protected their narrow lead.

The result also snapped a long wait: this was Wake Forest’s first non-conference road victory since a 4-1 win at UNCW on Oct. 15, 2024.

Man of the Match: Mednard

On a night defined by grit and resilience, Mednard stood tallest.

His six-save shutout, highlighted by those key second-half stops, preserved Young’s first-half strike and sealed his fifth career solo clean sheet. With that performance, he joined captain Jeffrey White and David Nguema (twice) among Wake Forest’s Man of the Match honorees this season.

ACC Test on Deck

The Ohio swing is over. Now comes the real measuring stick.

Wake Forest returns to Spry Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, opening ACC play at home against Duke. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with the match streaming on ACCNX.

A clean sheet on the road. A response after a late loss. A back line and goalkeeper growing in confidence.

Duke will find out quickly just how much that night in Bowling Green hardened this Wake Forest team.