Duke entered Sunday riding a three-game winning streak into its matchup with Alabama A&M, a non-conference foe with a record under .500.
But on a mild autumn afternoon, the Blue Devils got anything but a walk in the park.
In a game featuring 22 fouls and five yellow cards, Alabama A&M (7-7-1) stunned No. 19 Duke (10-6-1) with a 4-3 win at Koskinen Stadium. The Bulldogs found the back of the net four times on only eight shots, as Blue Devil goalkeepers combined to make just one save on the day.
"It's as frustrating as any loss can be," senior forward Joshua Medcalf said.
Duke fought back from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits in the second half, but Alabama A&M used a swift counterattack in the final minutes for the game-winning goal. MfanaFuthi Bhembe led forward Mosito Ranko ahead of the defense, and Ranko beat backup goalie Brendan Fitzgerald to the upper right of the net for the 4-3 lead in the 81st minute. It was Ranko's third tally of the day-ironically on "Free Hat Day" at Koskinen Stadium.
The Blue Devils had tied the score six minutes earlier when Zack Pope's free kick was deflected by Mike Grella to Graham Dugoni for a chip-shot score.
It was Pope's second assist of the day and the second Duke goal to come off a set piece. Earlier in the half, Pope's corner kick was headed by Medcalf to Joe Germanese, who headed the ball into the back of the net to knot the score at two.
"Pope and I made eye contact, and I knew exactly where he was going to play the ball, and he played a perfect ball," Medcalf said. "It was very fortunate that Joe was running off of it. I needed someone there, and he was at the right place at the right time. It was a very pretty goal."
The Bulldogs, however, responded just 36 seconds later off a set piece of their own. Ranko's free kick from just outside the 18-yard line curled into the top left corner of the net for the 3-2 advantage.
The second half in particular was marked by physical play. Five yellow cards were handed out-four to Alabama A&M and one to Duke freshman Christian Ibeagha-and there was a scuffle between Medcalf and Bhembe near the sideline. Even the Koskinen crowd began exchanging words with players and coaches on the Bulldogs' bench.
"It was very physical," Medcalf said. "They're a little bit of a physical, sometimes cheap, team, and we let it get to us a little bit."
The Blue Devils, however, had Alabama A&M on the ropes in the first half. In the 21st minute, Medcalf was pulled down in the box, and Grella converted the penalty kick into a 1-0 lead.
Just a minute later, though, the game turned on an initially innocuous play. Duke goalkeeper Justin Papadakis retrieved a ball played too far into the Blue Devils' zone. Papadakis went to throw the ball out to Dugoni on his left, but it instead slipped out of his hand and right to Ranko, who finished the chance-Alabama A&M's first shot of the game-to tie the score.
"That's just an awful mistake by our goalkeeper," head coach John Rennie said. "That was a devastating point in the game-the turning point of the game, no question. It gave them all the confidence in the world. For 20 minutes, they didn't have a thing, anything. We had a goal, we had the lead, we had everything under control. And then, just an awful mistake, it's a tie game, and it gives them new life."
Papadakis was pulled to start the second half, but not before the Bulldogs took their first lead in the 41st minute off another free kick. Henry Kabeta bent the ball to the outside left, where Rogers Atugonza was positioned perfectly to head the ball into the top left corner.
"You've got to give Alabama A&M credit," senior defenseman Darrius Barnes said. "They came in here and had a plan. They got physical with us, we weren't ready and we didn't respond early. So it paid off for them in the end."
Duke now has five days off before finishing its regular season in Raleigh Saturday against N.C. State. The Blue Devils could use the break after playing four games in a span of 10 days and with senior captain Michael Videira nursing a quadriceps injury that could keep him out for four more weeks.
"We need rest. There were a lot of tired bodies out here," Medcalf said. "And then we need to put in some work. There's a lot of things we need to work on before we head into the ACC tournament and before N.C. State."
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