One preseason prediction is already inaccurate-but at least Duke's season is back on track.
The second-ranked Blue Devils (3-1-0) were upset by Villanova (3-1-0) Friday at Koskinen Stadium, 1-0. Duke outshot the Wildcats 25-4, but was unable to find the net on any of its scoring opportunities. The loss invalidated forward Mike Grella's earlier prediction that he "didn't see [the Blue Devils] losing" a game this season.
But Duke bounced back against No. 12 St. Louis (0-1-2)-Duke's first ranked opponent of the year-with a 2-0 win Sunday night. Senior forward Paul Dudley scored two goals, the first coming on a header off a cross from senior Tomek Charowski in the sixth minute, which finally gave Duke a converted scoring chance.
"It was huge [to beat St. Louis]," assistant head coach Mike Jeffries said. "We were very frustrated about Friday, and so it was big for us to get the early goal and get that monkey off our back."
Goalkeeper Justin Papadakis recorded his second shutout of the season, highlighted by a spectacular diving save 12 minutes into the game to preserve the Blue Devils' one-goal lead.
"Our defense did well in limiting the number of chances tonight," Papadakis said. "They broke through a couple times, and I was fortunate to make the save. But for the most part, I think the credit has to go to the back four. They're really limiting the number of chances that teams are getting."
The defense could get a boost later in the week. Senior Tim Jepson was dressed Sunday and his pulled hamstring is steadily improving. He has been running, but has yet to fully practice with the team. Jeffries said it is possible he could be back in the lineup by Saturday against West Virginia.
Dudley, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, picked up an insurance goal for the Blue Devils in the 63rd minute against the Billikens, knocking the ball into an open net off a one-touch pass from Joe Germanese.
"Paul definitely deserved this," Papadakis said. "He's been injured, and he's going to be a big part of our success this year and he proved that tonight."
Dudley had some missed opportunities in the Villanova game, making his performance Sunday even more important to the team.
"I was able to get on the end of a few great plays," Dudley said. "The Villanova game-we had to put it behind us. It's not like we played really bad in that game. We were just unlucky."
Duke may have gotten some bad breaks against the Wildcats, but the team also made mistakes Friday, particularly on offense, that needed to be corrected before Sunday.
"The runs were better from the forwards-Paul and Mike [Grella]," Jeffries said of Sunday's game. "And we got guys in the box, and it paid off with two goals."
Although the Blue Devils lost the possibility of an undefeated season, they showed their resilience by taking down the Billikens.
"The only way to bounce back after a loss is with a win," Papadakis said. "This game helped, and I think we're back on track for the rest of the season."
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