Football
The Blue Devils are extremely optimistic heading into the final week of preseason practice, with the many fifth-year seniors raising expectations higher on a daily basis.
However, the season ended early for freshmen cornerback, Cedric Mason, who suffered a serious injury to his left patella during the football team's first hitting drills of the season last weekend.
"He's probably better off that this happened now," Duke coach Carl Franks said last Tuesday. "He's had a history of some problems with his kneecaps."
Men's Soccer
In an exhibition game this past Monday, the Blue Devils survived a second-half surge to down East Carolina 5-2. Junior Nigi Adogwa scored a hat-trick on the day, scoring the game's first two goals to give Duke a 2-0 lead. Justin Trowbridge, in his second year starting in goal, made one save and allowed no goals in the first half of play.
In the second stanza, however, East Carolina put two quick scores past junior netminder Mark Valdez to knot the match at two. But Duke retaliated with two scores from freshman Josh Swank, and a final goal from Adogwa, to sink the Pirates.
"It's great to score goals," Duke head coach John Rennie said Monday. "Scoring three goals after we were tied is a result of pure effort, fitness and heart. This team has a lot of those qualities. A lot of teams would have lost or settled for a tie after the game was tied. ECU came out in the second half with a lot of enthusiasm and intensity. We didn't match that tonight. That's something we can work on."
Duke travels to Connecticut Saturday for its final preseason game before beginning regular season competition at home against Liberty August 30.
Women's Soccer
A 6-0 shutout of UNC-Asheville marked the beginning of the 2003 season for the women's soccer team in an exhibition match last Sunday. The young Blue Devils were led by its seven upperclassmen, as junior Lauren Simel scored the game's first goal, and recorded an assist to senior Gwendolyn Oxenham, while junior Casey McCluskey added two goals of her own en route to the victory.
Freshmen Lauren Tippets and Sarah McCabe closed out the scoring for Duke, which will take on Old Dominion this Saturday in its last exhibition contest for the year.
Women's Basketball
Tillis and Pam Am team pick up silver medal
Cuba defeated the United States 75-64 in the gold medal game of the Pan American tournament August 9, marking the Cubans' fifth victory over America in 18 days. Previously, the Cubans had downed the U.S. in three exhibition contests played in Havana, Cuba, and once in the Pan American tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Duke senior Iciss Tillis scored three points and collected four rebounds in the loss.
Beard and USA Young Women grab gold
Alana Beard poured in 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in leading the United States Young Women team to a 71-55 victory in the 2001 FIBA World Championships held in Sibenik, Croatia August 3. The win served as compensation for the Americans' only loss in the competition, when Brazil upended the U.S. 73-60.
Beard, along with teammates Seimone Augustus (Louisiana State) and Christi Thomas (Georgia), were named to the five-member All-Tournament team.
Following the gold medal presentation, U.S. coach Jim Foster--who heads up Ohio State's basketball program--was very complimentary of the trio.
"They had great character and Augustus and Thomas stepped up today, Beard was consistent defensively," Foster said.
Both Beard and Tillis are on the Wooden Award's preseason watch list which honors the nation's top player.
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