It’s practice two days before the then-No. 7 Demon Deacons take on the number three Tar Heels, and Wake Forest’s field hockey coach, Jenn Averill, stalks the sidelines like a predator observing her prey.
She’s leaning towards the field, crouched low to the ground, her weight centered on the points of her toes, and she’s not happy. She whips around to face the group of student-reporters watching practice and says something coaches aren’t supposed to say.
“We have a really nice team,” she said. “We’re super nice. The problem is, we’re soft.” Nice is something to strive for.