A trip to California will be no vacation this weekend for the men's soccer team.
Sixth-ranked Duke may not be going surfing, but it will travel to California as it takes on California State-Fullerton and No. 3 UCLA this weekend in the UCLA Pacific Soccer Classic. Duke will play Cal State on Friday at 8:30 p.m. and UCLA on Sunday at 4 p.m. Both games will take place at UCLA's Spaulding Field.
The Blue Devils (13-3, 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) look to bounce back after last Saturday's loss to No. 4 Virginia, an upset that cost them the top spot in the ACC.
"We always want to come off a loss with a win," senior Andy Kwon said. "We're trying to get back into it because two losses in a row would really hurt us, especially at this time of year."
Despite its unimposing 9-7 record, Cal State will not throw in the towel easily. The Titans' season has been full of surprises so far, as they have recorded upsets over UCLA and No. 10 Boston University.
Duke and Cal State share one crucial trait-youth. The Blue Devils' freshmen class has been instrumental in their success thus far, and they have started as many as six rookies in one game. In addition to the usual toll taken by graduation each spring, the Titans lost three underclassmen from their 1996 campaign.
Then-sophomores Joe DiGiamarino and Brian Dunseth left the university to play professional soccer, and goalkeeper Mike Forensich transferred to Virginia for his junior season. To make up for these losses, Cal State has relied heavily on its newcomers-of its 16 freshmen, 10 have seen considerable playing time.
"They seem to be erratic," Duke coach John Rennie said. "They're only one of two teams to beat UCLA, but they're inconsistent, which is typical of a young team.... They're a blend of a lot of youth and a few great senior leaders."
One of those senior leaders is forward Sheldon Thomas. A 1996 second-team All-America pick, Thomas leads the Titans in scoring with 24 points. Joining him up front will be fellow senior Charlie Lynch, who has tallied 22 points.
While Duke does not intend to take the Titans lightly, UCLA (13-2) should present the greater challenge. The Bruins, who are undefeated in the Pacific-10 conference, appear to be well on their way to earning their 14th-straight NCAA Tournament berth. Deadly at home, they have won this weekend's classic eight times in the 12 years since its inception.
Duke will have a chance to observe UCLA Friday when it faces Massachusetts following the Duke-Cal State match. The Blue Devils hope that by watching the Bruins play, they will better know what to expect and how to exploit their weaknesses.
"We get to see them play, and they get to see us play," Rennie said. "We don't change a whole lot of what we do at this point in the season, but we make little adjustments here and there.... So if after we watch UCLA, we think we need to make any adjustments, we'll do whatever we have to do to win."
Duke might want to keep an eye out for Seth George. The freshman has compiled 11 goals and four assists thus far. George also seems to be a good luck charm of sorts for the Bruins-they are 11-0 in every game when he notches a goal and only 2-2 when he fails to find the back of the net. Josh Keller has also made a splash on UCLA's offensive scene as well. In Monday's 5-0 victory over Cal State-Los Angeles, the senior recorded a hat trick, all while anchoring the defensive unit en route to its ninth shutout of the year.
The Blue Devils travel to the west coast with more than just their record at stake. After being denied an NCAA Tournament bid in last year's disappointing conclusion, they understand how critical it is not to falter near the end of the season.
"Both games are very important for us," Kwon said. "They're both top-quality teams, and it's so late in the season we really don't want to lose any games right now."
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