Sakuda takes charge

A great deal can change in a year.

The men's soccer team, after two years of relative roster stability, takes the field this season having lost five starters and one of the better classes in Duke soccer history.

"I'm very positive about the team. We definitely lost a great senior class, but in terms of talent, we're still pretty strong," said Kevin Sakuda, one of the team's captains.

"We've got a good group of freshmen that are going to come in and contribute right away. I'm very optimistic."

Sakuda remains a constant on the back line that lost Dwayne Harris and Nii-Amar Amamoo to graduation.

The senior defender, recently named as the Blue Devils' captain by his teammates, enters the season having started all 63 games in his Duke career.

"I think he has tremendous intelligence and poise on the field," coach John Rennie said.

"Those are the things that come to mind when you think of Kevin. He is very skillful, and is a very smart player. You always get the feeling when you get the ball to Kevin that he'll do good things with the ball."

"I think what we have done is trade better soccer players for better athletes," Rennie said.

"This group is not necessarily as good athletically, but they are better players. It's very rare to find both. A great player who is a great athlete is probably playing for money somewhere."

The change in the composition of the defense has led to a change in strategy. The Blue Devils will not use a sweeper this season, instead going with three marking defenders.

Due to depth issues in the midfield, Duke will play with three midfielders this season.

Sakuda's role has changed with the new strategy. Rennie has moved the senior out to the wing on defense.

"The three guys in the midfield are more pinched in," Sakuda said. "That actually gives me a chance to play like an outside midfielder when we go forward. Defensively, I will still have the same responsibility in the back. But once we get the ball, I will have the whole line to run. I want to get more involved in the offense."

That represents a fairly major change considering Sakuda has taken a mere seven shots in his Duke career.

In order to prepare for the season, Sakuda spent the summer playing with an amateur team based in North Carolina and practicing with Santa Clara in his native California.

"It was a good experience," the senior said. "They have a good atmosphere. They had good number out there all the time, and it was very competitive."

Practicing with the Broncos did have a drawback, however. Santa Clara knocked Duke out of the NCAA tournament in 1999.

"I grew up with a lot of those guys," Sakuda said. "They'll talk some crap, but it's all in good fun."

Unlike the past two years, the Blue Devils enter this season as an underdog. Perception that the loss of stars like Ali Curtis will render Duke toothless, has led to lower rankings. "We definitely have a lot to prove to people this year," Sakuda said.

"I think we're ranked fifth in the ACC. But I think we have a good team this year. I'm not setting any lower goals than I did last year. We want to go out and win the ACC and the national championship.

"I don't think the lower ranking is a bad thing. In the past, there was a lot of pressure when we were No. 1 and everyone was shooting for us. I think this year we can surprise people and make a statement."