The Duke wrestling team just cannot catch a break.
The Blue Devils (0-7, 0-2 in the ACC) fell to Maryland (6-7, 4-0), 21-12, Saturday in a match that was closer than the score may indicate, said head coach Clar Anderson. All of the Terrapins' wins were by four points or fewer.
"Maryland, they did a phenomenal job of winning the close matches," Anderson said. "In all my years of coaching, I've never seen a match that turned out like that. Every match was decided in the third period, and [seven] of them went against us."
Juniors Philip Wightman and Daniel Shvartsman and redshirt freshman Aaron Glover all held leads in the third period at the 141-, 149- and 165-pound classes, respectively, before losing by a combined four points.
The three losses came in a six-match streak that Maryland used to turn a 6-3 team deficit into a insurmountable 21-6 lead. Senior Levi Craig and freshman Dan Tulley won at the 174- and 184-pound classes, respectively, to finish the match, but the Blue Devils had already dropped their seventh-straight dual match.
"If we win those three matches that we were winning in the third period, its a whole different match," Anderson said. "This whole season, after every match it seems like the same talk. We're right there, and we just have to pull out some close matches."
Sophomore Konrad Dudziak had a chance to tie the day's opening match in the last minute but could not record the takedown, and the Terrapins took the 3-0 team lead. Maryland, however, had to forfeit the heavyweight class, giving Duke a 6-3 lead before the Terps went on their six-match tear.
"Our record does not reflect our performance-I hope they can believe in themselves and show that," Anderson said. "What is going to be the turning point? We are still searching for that."
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