The Clemson men's soccer team has lost its leading scorer and three other starters from last year's team and three of its first five games. But Duke coach John Rennie would rather his squad focus on what the Tigers still have when the Blue Devils travel to South Carolina for their ACC opener tomorrow night.
This is a program that suffered just one defeat in the 1998 regular season, falling to Duke in September before avenging the loss in the ACC tournament. This is also a team that was picked to top the conference once again in '99 and boasts such talented players as midfielder Mark Lisi and goalie Josh Campbell, both first-team All-ACC selections a year ago.
"Sometimes the worst time to play a team of Clemson's tradition," Rennie said, "is when they're down and fighting for their lives.... I hope our players understand that."
The Blue Devils and
But Rennie has more than a few reasons to be wary of tomorrow's showdown. The Blue Devils were slowed in practice this week by Hurricane Floyd and several players' illnesses and have to take on a desperate Clemson team.
"This is a game that can make or break their season," said junior midfielder Robert Russell. "It's a chance for them to rebound."
Duke will also face a large, rowdy crowd at Riggs Field.
"It's definitely a tough place to play," Russell said. "The stadium is beautiful, one of the best in the ACC. They'll get a good turnout, especially since it's a night game."
As the Blue Devils open their ACC season, the conference is once again strong but may be experiencing a shift in the balance of power. In this week's poll, Maryland is fifth, Wake Forest 18th, Virginia 21st and North Carolina 24th. Even N.C. State, picked to finish last in the ACC, upset No. 20 Rutgers last weekend at the Duke adidas Classic a day after the Scarlet Knights tied the Blue Devils.
The Tigers and Cavaliers, the top two seeds in the NCAA tournament a year ago, were hit hard by pro defections and are both 0-1 in the conference and at the bottom of the ACC standings.
"That's never happened before," Rennie said. "It's too early to tell with them because they've had to replace a lot of players, but by the end of the season they could be very good."
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