Cream always rises to the top; sometimes it just takes a little more time than you expect.
The men's soccer team (10-4, 4-1 in the ACC) had suffered what can be described as a disappointing season heading into Saturday's contest with the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers (10-4-1, 4-1) in Charlottesville. The Blue Devils, having fallen out of the national rankings, sat in a tie for second in the conference.
But with 3:15 left in regulation, Robert Russell smashed a deflection from 25 yards out into the Virginia net to seal a Duke victory and remind the country that this Blue Devil team cannot be counted out of the picture.
"It was a big win for us," freshman Justin Bodiya said. "We were really pumped up for this game."
The victory was again a classic duel between the two teams, with the Blue Devils repeating their one-goal triumph of last season's ACC Championships against the Cavaliers. Duke's upset marked the first time UVa has suffered a defeat in Charlottesville this season.
"Beating a team like Virginia, you are capable of beating any team in the country," Ali Curtis said. "Teams are going to have to re-evaluate how they look at us. Teams are going to be afraid of us again."
At halftime, it did not appear as though it would take any late-game heroics to move Duke to the top of the conference standings.
The Blue Devils scored the game's first goal just 8:07 into the first half when Russell knocked a free kick into the top-left corner of the Virginia net.
"Getting that first goal early was great for us," Curtis said. "It gave us a little bit of breathing room, and it put a lot of pressure on Virginia."
The Blue Devils added to the pressure 17 minutes later. Bodiya chipped in a loose ball in the Virginia box, and Duke took a 2-0 lead into the half.
But the Cavaliers did not come into this matchup undefeated in the conference for no reason. When the second half began, so did their push.
Just under eight minutes after the break, Virginia closed to within a goal. Jonathan Cole found Steve Totten, who squeezed the ball past Jeff Haywood and just inside the right post to make the score 2-1. Then the Blue Devils handed the Cavaliers the tying goal. In the 63rd minute, Kyle Martino was taken down by a Duke defender in the penalty area. Totten scored his second goal of the afternoon on the penalty kick, making the score 2-2.
"Virginia is very talented," Curtis said. "They play with a lot of passion and pride. They were going to make a push."
The situation got worse for the Blue Devils. In the 82nd minute, defender Dwayne Harris was ejected from the contest for roughing, forcing Duke to play the remainder of the game short one man.
The short-sided Blue Devils kept UVa off the scoreboard, and Russell came through with the game winner.
"I think that was the best game that I have ever seen Robert Russell play," Curtis said. "He was the hero of the game. He really led our team to victory. We couldn't have won without him."
The victory moved Duke into a three-way tie with North Carolina and Virginia for the conference lead. The Blue Devils have only one ACC game remaining against 17th-ranked Wake Forest.
"We think that we're going to beat them," Curtis said. "We feel like if we keep playing the way we're playing, we're going to win."
If the Blue Devils can win the regular-season conference title, they will secure a crucial first-round bye in the conference tournament. Last year, with the bye, Duke won the conference tournament. But in past years, the Blue Devils have claimed that playing in the first round left them tired late in the tournament.
Whether or not they can get the bye, the Blue Devils believe this victory will affect the rest of the season. It also will not be one they soon forget.
"After the game, the seniors told us it was a shame we had to be here our freshman year," Bodiya said. "They told us this will be the best game we ever play in our career and we will always compare every game to it."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.