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weekend schedule also included

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MetLife-Adidas brings nation's best soccer to Durham**

Men's soccer coach John Rennie has never been one to shy away from aggressive scheduling.

Besides having to contend week-in and week-out with opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference -- widely regarded as the toughest soccer conference in the country -- Rennie's teams have in recent years had to go up against the likes of perennial powers Davidson, SMU, Rutgers and Indiana.

This year, Rennie and the Blue Devils opened their season with competition of a lighter fare, disposing of Mercer, Colgate and Roanoke over a span of three days. But this weekend, the MetLife-adidas Soccer Classic comes to Durham, and the real season begins.

"We try to make it the best soccer tournament in the country, after the ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament," Rennie said Monday of the Classic, now in its 10th year of existence, but only its second under the current sponsorship tandem. "Some years the teams you select don't come into the season highly regarded, but this year I think we got what we wanted."

They are led by a strong defense that includes juniors Todd Yeagley and Mike Clark -- the former being a preseason All-America selection -- and an explosive offense that returns the team's top seven scorers from last year.

They are also experienced, fielding 14 players in either their junior or senior year.

And after a narrow loss to Rutgers last week and a narrow loss to Duke last year, the Hoosiers are motivated and out for revenge.

"We went out to their tournament last year and upset them," Rennie said in reference to Duke's 1-0 win in 1992 on Indiana's home turf that opened the Blue Devils' most successful season since their 1986 NCAA championship. "And I'm sure they're going to remember that coming back here."

If the Blue Devils become too concerned with pulling off the big win to finish off the weekend, they could fall victim to the big loss when they open play Friday against William & Mary. The Tribe is the tournament's unknown factor, and after losing six members of last year's starting lineup, is an easy opponent to disregard.

They do, however, return two starters on defense -- both upperclassmen -- and three midfielders with considerable playing experience.

Also returning is sophomore forward Billy Owens, last year considered one of the top rookies in the South Atlantic region, and this year typical of the Tribe's young talent.

N.C. State, which the Blue Devils do not face until next month when the Wolfpack comes to Durham, brings last year's leading scorer Mark Jonas and rounds out what Rennie simply calls a "great field."

Duke has won the last two Classics held in Durham, last year toppling George Washington and Rutgers on the way to the championship, and downing Syracuse and Illinois State the year before.

This year, the Blue Devils enter the tournament led by an experienced defense and an outstanding midfield, but if they are to make it four straight, it will be their offense that must produce.

"With teams of this caliber, you expect the defenses to be good," Rennie said. "It's the team that really finds a way to score goals that's going to win.

"That's going to be our task this weekend, if we're going to do well, is for some of our players to step up and show they can score the big goals. That's what's going to decide who wins the whole tournament."

NOTES: The tournament champion is decided by a points system which awards two points for each win and one for each tie, with goal differential being used as a tie breaker...

Duke midfielder Jason Kreis is the returning tournament Most Valuable Player, while Steve Smith, Richie Dunn and Craig Jeidy all return as members of last year's All-Tournament team...

All games will be played at Duke Soccer Stadium.