Freshman Spencer Wadsworth seems to only have one speed: fast. Whether streaking toward the net to poke in a goal or challenging the opposing defense with suffocating pressure, Wadsworth has established himself as an integral part of the Blue Devils’ team in only his first 11 games.
The forward, who has been described simply as feisty, draws comparisons to a popular media icon.
“He is like the Energizer Bunny. He never stops working. He just keeps going and going and going until he collapses,” head coach John Rennie said.
While Wadsworth focuses on corralling the ball near the net, fellow freshman Michael Videira hangs back, quarterbacking the team from the midfield.
“Mike is tireless in the midfield passing, distributing and defending,” senior co-captain Joe Kelly said. ”He’s probably one of the best two-way players I’ve ever seen.”
In a year when team dynamics are being redefined by 10 freshmen, Wadsworth and Videira have quickly adjusted to their roles.
“Spencer is a wild one. He’s one of those guys, and Mike is too, always cracking jokes in the locker room,” said Kelly of the camaraderie that has developed. “It’s really good when you have the team chemistry that the freshmen feel comfortable being able to do that and integrate themselves with the older guys.”
The two have formed a robust tandem that has helped elevate Duke from a sub-.500 team in 2003 to a No. 4 national ranking and an untarnished record.
Wadsworth’s contributions are more visible, grabbing spectators’ eyes as he runs circles around confused defenders. Using his speed to generate opportunities, he ranks second on the team with 26 shots. And as is characteristic of any great player, Wadsworth performs his best when the lights were shine their brightest. He tallied Duke’s lone goal in its victory over Clemson in the ACC opener and assisted on the winning goal against then-top-ranked Maryland. He also notched an assist in Duke’s dramatic victory over North Carolina Sunday night.
Although Wadsworth gets most of the acclaim, Videira is the engine that powers a Duke offense, which has scored more than twice as many goals as it had at the same point last season. The team’s assist leader, Videira, is unusually patient and collected for a freshman, acting as an outlet for the defense while creating opportunities for the forwards.
Videira is no stranger to this level of competition, and a result of his extensive international experience. Before putting on a Blue Devil jersey, Videira had already competed against some of the best young players in the world as a member of the U.S. Under-14, Under-18 and Under-20 national teams. And since arriving at Duke, he stepped into a leading role, starting all 11 games and clocking the 916 minutes, the second-most on the team. Like Wadsworth, he has performed when it has counted. He scored the first goal in the Blue Devils’ victory over Maryland and made a key defensive stop in the closing minutes against the Tar Heels.
Wadsworth and Videira always have an eye on the opposing goal, but their sustained effort without the ball is paying dividends defensively. The players and coaches said Duke’s team defense is a significant reason for the drastic turnaround from a year ago.
When the other team gets the ball, Wadsworth is usually the first line of defense that opposing fullbacks must contend with. Even when he does not win the ball outright, Wadsworth at least rushes the opposition into making quick, often faulty, decisions. When Wadsworth can limit a defender’s options, he enables Videira and the other midfielders close down passing lanes and win the balls in the center of the field. Essentially, a defensively sound forward like Wadsworth splits the field in half, forcing the opposition to one side, where his teammates are waiting to pounce and begin the counterattack.
“What I do is run as fast as I can for as long as I can, score goals when I can, set people up when I can,” Wadsworth said.
Videira and Wadsworth are not the only rookies making an impact for the Blue Devils. They are part of the second-best recruiting class in the nation, Duke’s best in years.
“We start five freshmen,” Rennie said. “They have a tremendous attitude about working hard, fighting hard and playing to win. I think it’s that blue-collar work approach to getting the job done that enables them to showcase their skills. They work very hard.”
So far this season, freshmen have accounted for 58 of 121 starts, forcing seniors to the bench.
“As a recruiting class, I don’t think we felt pressure,” Wadsworth said. “I think we felt that we had to play well because if we didn’t play well we wouldn’t be on the field. There’s not one bad player on our team. Every player goes out every day as hard as they can.”
Despite their individual accomplishments, both Videira and Wadsworth make it clear that the team’s success is always the first priority. Individual statistics do not hold any meaning if they are part of a losing season.
“I just want to have a better record than last year,” Wadsworth said. “We want to win the national championship, but we have to think small before we think big. We have to win one game at a time and do the best we can.”
Duke is well on its way to Wadsworth’s first goal, and the second is looking less far-fetched each game.
“We just want to win,” Videira said.
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