Tuesday’s loss epitomized the Blue Devils’ season in many ways.
A team that Duke head coach John Kerr has called his most talented ever once again controlled play, especially in the second half, but was done in by its inability to finish scoring chances.
The Blue Devils fell 3-1 to Davidson Tuesday night at Koskinen Stadium, the second week in a row Duke has suffered a disappointing nonconference upset. The Blue Devils lost to Georgia State for the first time ever last Tuesday at home, but after its first ACC win of the season Friday, Duke hoped it could build momentum toward a potential NCAA tournament bid with a win against the Wildcats.
Instead, Davidson’s success against the Blue Devils—the Wildcats are now 2-0-1 against Duke the last three years—continued, as the Wildcats used goals in the 70th and 88th minutes to break a 1-1 tie and earn its first road win of the year. Tuesday marked the first time all season Blue Devil goalkeeper Robert Moewes allowed three goals.
“If you look at the overall play, we were the better team, but we just don’t execute our opportunities and it’s been haunting us the last few games,” Duke head coach John Kerr said. “We were a little careless with the ball and got punished on another counterattack.”
The Wildcats (2-8) showed their dangerous counterattack in the first half, outshooting Duke (4-4-2) 5-3 and taking advantage after Blue Devil junior Cameron Moseley’s header went awry toward the end of the half.
Davidson moved the ball into the attacking third in the 45th minute, then capitalized on a deflection as the Blue Devils tried to clear the ball. But the ball found the foot of Wildcat junior Danny Davis, who beat Moewes to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead and the momentum entering the locker room.
“They wanted to sit in, let us make an error, and hit us on the counterattack, and we gave them some of those opportunities,” Kerr said. “Gives them a lot of momentum going into halftime with a 1-0 lead.”
Duke was more aggressive after halftime, firing 11 shots and creating four chances on goal, and was rewarded with its first tally in the 56th minute. Freshman standout Suniel Veerakone sent a through ball to junior Brian White, who converted for the equalizer and his fourth goal of the season.
But that was all the success the Blue Devils found against Davidson goalkeeper Andrew Kenneson, who made five key saves Tuesday.
The senior made a save in the 69th minute on a Brandon Williamson shot before White sent another scoring chance over the cross bar.
After hitting the post in the 62nd minute on a Jordan Hill header, the Wildcats took advantage following Duke’s close calls by winning the ball at midfield. Christian Fechter lofted a long pass to Aidan Peterson, and the sophomore made the Blue Devil defense pay with a shot into the bottom left corner of the net for the go-ahead goal.
“Davidson is a really good 1-8, now 2-8 team. Luck hasn’t been going their way, unfortunately it changed against us tonight,” Kerr said.
But the Wildcats were not done yet.
After Duke was unable to convert another shot, Davidson clinched its second win of the year when Peterson threw the ball in to Jaylen Thompson in the 88th minute, and the freshman beat a Moewes yet again. Tuesday also marked the first time the Wildcats have scored three goals this season.
Following another setback, the Blue Devils will hit the road to take on No. 18 Virginia Tech Friday evening.
“When you don’t score, you lose a little bit of belief in yourself, and we didn’t have enough belief in ourselves tonight,” Kerr said.
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