On a cold and rainy night, the men's soccer team still managed to pour in the goals.
The fifth-ranked Blue Devils routed the Appalachian State Mountaineers 9-1 Wednesday. Duke improved its record to 7-1 while Appalachian State fell to 1-5-1.
Freshman Ali Curtis helped Duke take an early lead with his eighth goal of the season just 4:47 into the game. He was assisted by sophomore Gaston Haupert and senior Matt Shattuck. Appalachian State kept up with the Blue Devils in the opening minutes, though, tying it up less than five minutes later. Mountaineer Naoshi Yamauchi converted on a penalty kick for Appalachian State's lone goal of the game.
"Appalachian State is a legitimate Division I team," head coach John Rennie said. "They did what we expected them to do in the first 15 minutes. They kept it close."
Duke took over with 25 minutes left in the half and never looked back. Curtis' header off of Evan Whitfield's corner kick found the back of the net allowing the Blue Devils to go ahead 2-1.
"We were forced to play in the air at the beginning of the game because of the rain and Appalachian State's play, but once we were able to keep the ball down on the ground, we were able to settle down and be more consistent," Rennie said.
The Blue Devils rattled off the next seven goals using a combination of speed and teamwork. The wet field condition slowed the ball down, but it was unable to hinder forward Matt Shattuck. He took advantage of his first start of the season, scoring two goals and assisting on another.
"It was a beautiful night to play," Shattuck said. "Whether I'm starting or coming in as a sub as a forward, my job is to finish and put away the opportunities. I'm just happy that I was able to do that."
The Blue Devils continued to keep the ball down in their offensive end of the field for the remainder of the first half. They ended the half ahead 5-1 after Shattuck's second goal of the game and a score by freshman Matt Mayock. Duke outshot Appalachian State 30-2.
The loyal fans that stayed for the second half saw a taste of the Blue Devils' pinpoint accuracy and flashy footwork. Just five minutes into the final half, senior forward Andy Kwon scored off a precision pass from teammate Jay Heaps. After slicing and dicing through three Mountaineers, Kwon assisted junior Josh Henderson's first goal of the game just two minutes later.
Rennie was able to clear the bench for the rest of the second half, allowing junior reserve Eric Otto to add his name to the scoring column. Appalachian State could muster only one second-half shot. Duke, though, continued to show its depth as six different players tallied goals for the game.
"We had a couple of injuries and we were just hoping to play hard and come out with a win," Rennie said. "We certainly did that. We played a great game."
The Blue Devils' ability to maintain their concentration and overpower their opponent until the end should add to their confidence as they head into a tough part of their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.
"We have a tough game ahead of us against Maryland," freshman defender Nii-Amar Amamoo said. "We knew what job we had to do tonight. We played well and gained some confidence heading into our ACC games."
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