Even though the weather at the Duke Soccer Stadium on Sunday was pleasant, the play on the field clouded the day.
The College of Charleston (12-5-1) defeated the No. 4 men's soccer team 2-0 with an unusual game plan. With their lethargic style of play, the Cougars lulled Duke (11-4-1) to sleep, and struck quickly and effectively on their infrequent counterattacks. It was the first time that Duke had been blanked all season.
"We knew what was coming," assistant head coach David Smyth said. "We just didn't execute defensively on their counters."
The lackluster effort from the Blue Devils was all the more surprising given their strong showings in their last two outings, a tie against No. 1 Virginia and a 4-0 whitewashing at Wake Forest.
"It's a team we shouldn't have lost to," junior forward Brian Kelly said. "I didn't put in the effort today. The only thing this [loss] does is infuriate us."
At times it seemed as though nobody else on the field put in the effort, either. The first half was a bore for players and fans alike, as Charleston wasted large amounts of time getting rid of the ball after gaining possession in their defensive zone. Goalkeepers Brian Cherry of Charleston and Jon Barth were the least busy of all, having to make but one save between them in the half.
"There's never an excuse for coming out flat," Smyth said. "We had numerous opportunities to score, and didn't finish."
The Cougars finally capitalized on those chances toward the end of the match, but only after a second half that was nearly as lackadaisical as the first. Without their leading assist man, freshman Josh Henderson, the Blue Devils' lack of offensive presence was rather conspicuous.
"It definitely hurts to lose him," Kelly said. "But we've got a lot of depth on this team. We do lose a bit of familiarity, since we've playing with him this whole season."
Knowing the game would be a defensive battle, both teams surged forward in the second half, looking for a quick score so that they could sit back in a defensive shell for the remainder of the game. Consequently, the two goalies were put under some pressure, and each was equal to the task. Barth made a pair of key leaping saves in the first minutes of the second stanza, but late in the game it was Cherry's turn to shine.
With just under eight minutes remaining, Kelly and a Charleston player became entangled in a battle for possession. The Cougar player got up a bit too slowly for Duke's liking, as Kelly was helplessly pinned to the ground. However, the referee did not blow the whistle, as Duke appeared to have the advantage on the play. But Charleston stole the ball and advanced on goal as the Blue Devils awaited the call that never came. This created a breakaway for Charleston's Scott Clayton, who had no trouble beating Barth as the Duke defensive containment arrived too late. Duke head coach John Rennie protested vehemently, and received a yellow card for it.
Then, with seven minutes to go, Kelly found himself all alone in front of the Cougar net for a header. Kelly struck the ball solidly, but Cherry leaped from out of nowhere to tip the ball away.
"Their keeper was excellent, based on what I saw today," Smyth said. "He helped give them the opportunity to win."
Charleston fed off the momentum provided by Cherry's five second-half saves as it scored again with just 34 seconds left. Once again, Clayton was the perpetrator as he was wide open on the left flank after a swift Cougar counterattack to a Duke run. Clayton's shot actually deflected in off sophomore defenseman Adam Mastrelli, but that was a moot point for the shocked Blue Devils.
The final result in a disastrous day for Duke came with nine seconds left, when freshman Jay Heaps found the net on a gorgeous bicycle kick from 10 yards out. The goal, however, was nullified by an offsides call.
"They couldn't play with us," Kelly said. "They stuck to their game plan, and it worked. This [Charleston] team did not beat us today; we beat ourselves, hands down."
"I don't want to take credit away from Charleston," Smyth said. "They're a good team, highly regarded in the South. You could say we beat ourselves, but they helped us to beat ourselves."
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