Top-ranked Wake Forest moved into the championship game of the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1991 by beating No. 5 Virginia, 4-3, in a shootout on Friday after their game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The Demon Deacons meet defending ACC champion Duke in the final. The Blue Devils beat defending national champion Maryland, 1-0, in the other semifinal before a record crowd of 7,119 fans at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.
Sophomore Sam Cronin's late-game heroics saved Wake, which won its second straight game in a shootout in the ACC Tournament. The Wake defender scored with 37 seconds left in the game to send it to overtime. Virginia had taken the lead in the 33rd minute on Pat Phelan's own goal. UVA's Bakary Soumare had been sent off in the 81st minute, giving Wake a man-advantage.
In the shootout, goalkeeper Brian Edwards stopped shots by Zola Short and Jeremy Barlow to give the Deacons the edge.
Transfer Joe Germanese's goal in the 40th minute gave Duke the victory over Maryland.