Duke Men’s Soccer Displays the Beautiful Game

By Lucas Hubbard

Soccer can be so simple.

This season Duke has sometimes struggled to play with the combination of finesse, strength, and composure necessary to play at a high level.  But at Koskinen Stadium Tuesday night, the Duke men’s soccer team put on an attacking clinic against a helpless Furman squad with a 4-0 victory.

Duke took control straight from the kick-off, with Andrew Wenger (’13) distributing the ball to wingers Temi Molinar (’12) and Chris Tweed-Kent (’12) with surgical precision, forcing multiple corners.  In the 13^th minute, Cole Grossman (’11) benefited from Furman defensive miscommunication and was one-on-one with Furman keeper Maros Valko.  Grossman’s shot was deflected wide of the target, but on the ensuing corner kick, the ball pinged around before falling to the feet of Matthew Thomas (Gr.), who slotted it home coolly for the 1-0 lead.

The next 25 minutes were a showcase of Duke’s quality: the defense played Darrelle Revis-esque shutdown coverage, leaving keeper James Belshaw with nothing to do but pick grass; Wenger and center mid Jonathan Aguirre (’14) distributed the ball with ease and controlled the field; and wingers Molinar and Tweed-Kent spread the field for strikers Grossman and Ryan Finley (’12) to make penetrating runs.  Both Finley and Grossman forced keeper Valko to come up with strong saves until the 36^th minute, when it all came together for the Blue Devils.  Wenger gathered the ball in the defensive half and hammered a Beckham-like delivery for Chris Tweed-Kent on the left wing.  Tweed-Kent then blew past the closing defender and found a cutting Grossman between two defenders, who then finished with confidence.  For a Duke team that has at times struggled to string passes together this year, this combination was a breath of fresh air.

In the second half, it was more of the same as Duke heavily out shot Furman and dominated play. Although Duke couldn’t break through for a while and really put Furman under a sleeper hold, it didn’t allow the Paladins any opportunities of their own.  Keeper Belshaw was only really tested once in the second half, and he smothered the attempt to maintain the clean sheet.  With 6:20 remaining, Cole Grossman added to his night’s haul with a blast from outside the 18-yard box; 29 seconds later Ryan Finley demonstrated his poise on a breakaway, touching around the keeper to put the match on ice.  Following this scoring outburst, Coach John Kerr gave the two strikers the rest of the night off, and the teammates received a deserved ovation from the fans in attendance.  It was a fitting end to a night dominated by Duke’s suddenly dynamite attack—hopefully, a sign of things to come for the Blue Devils.

Hubbard’s Heroes

1. Cole Grossman

His deft finish on Duke’s second goal provided the team highlight of the night, but throughout the game he put pressure on the Furman defense, and if not for some impressive work by the Furman keeper, he could have secured a hat trick tonight.  Grossman certainly proved himself a capable Robin to star Ryan Finley’s Batman with his execution in front of goal tonight

2. Andrew Wenger

The adage is that a defender has a good game when he goes unnoticed; however, Wenger brings more to the table than the average defender.  His precise long balls from the back spring many of Duke’s attacks, and tonight his play led directly to the second goal and set the Duke offense up for the first one.  His ability to step up into the attacking third is crucial, and he displayed his prowess with a blast from 30 yards that almost snuck by the keeper.

3. Chris Tweed-Kent and Temi Molinar

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for undersized, hustling outside midfielders (my position in high school), and no one can beat Temi and CTK in that category.  Their work rates tonight were outstanding even by their high standards, and Tweed-Kent’s gather and assist on the Grossman goal was textbook.  The two working on opposite wings contribute mightily to widening the attack, and they allow Grossman and Finley to dominate in front of goal.

Men’s Soccer Recap: Boston College Edges Duke in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

By Danny Nolan

Duke came into Wednesday night’s contest against Boston College believing the third time was the charm for their recent struggles in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals; however, the Eagles defeated the Blue Devils once again 1-0.

Duke dominated the first half, displaying all of their offensive abilities, except for the most important offensive statistic: goal scoring. Despite the Blue Devils’ great play, Boston College forward Amit Aburmad scored in the 17^th minute on the Eagles only shot on goal to give them a 1-0 edge, a lead that would not be relinquished.

The second half proved to be more of the same for Duke, who continued to put pressure on the Boston College defense. Despite their plethora of chances, the Blue Devils walked away from WakeMed Soccer Park empty handed.

Duke had an advantage in every offensive category on Wednesday night, outshooting Boston College 9-4. The Blue Devils also had a 5-0 advantage on corner opportunities for the game. Overall, Duke had several more opportunities to score, but struggled to finish passes into the offensive third all night. Junior Temi Molinar, sophomore Andrew Wenger, and junior Christopher Tweed-Kent all had chances to score over the course of the game, but could not seem to capitalize. This was due in large part to the play of the Boston College defense and goaltender Justin Luthy.

Newly crowned offensive player of the year Ryan Finley, who scored a school record 17 goals and 3 assists for 37 points this season, had two shots but was held scoreless for the game.

Both teams came into the game equal in almost every way. Duke earned the fourth seed in the ACC tournament, while the Eagles were rewarded with a fifth seed. Boston College was 20^th in the latest NSCAA national rankings, while the Blue Devils were 21^st.

The two schools faced off in the ACC quarterfinals last year as well, resulting in a Boston College win 1-0 in overtime. This Wednesday’s game marked the third straight year the Blue Devils lost in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and the second year losing to the Eagles. With their ACC Tournament coming to a close, Duke will now wait for the NCAA Tournament announcement on Monday, November 15^th.