No. 25 Duke, ranked in the national polls for the first time all season, dictated the tempo of its match against Davidson from the onset Tuesday night.
One minute into the match, the Blue Devils strung together a sequence of passes in the midfield ultimately leading to a corner kick, and they proceeded to control play for the remaining 89 minutes.
And while Duke put away two of its opportunities en route to a 2-0 win over the Wildcats, other statistics tell the story of the Blue Devils' dominance better than the final score itself.
Duke tallied 21 shots to Davidson's 11, and earned 10 corners while blanking the Wildcats. In all, the numbers added up to a sound win, but one that could have been more lopsided.
"We had a lot of opportunities, we just didn't finish them," head coach John Kerr said. "We had great chances in the final third, and we just weren't sharp in front of goal tonight."
Still, Duke (4-2) was able to put enough goals on the scoreboard to take the midweek victory.
Despite some sloppy play early, Duke took the lead in the 21st minute. Defensive midfielder Josh Bienenfeld made a critical stop in the Duke zone and generated a fast break with freshmen Kyle Bethel and Temi Molinar and senior Mike Grella. Ultimately the two newcomers connected when Molinar drove in a cross to Bethel, who recorded his fourth goal of the season.
Davidson goalkeeper Robby Goldsberry kept the Wildcats (1-5) in the match with a great goalkeeping display. But he was finally beaten again in the 83rd minute, when freshman Joseph Pak scored off a low cross from Grella to seal the win.
It was the two Blue Devils who contributed assists who doubled as the playmakers on the slick turf of Koskinen Stadium.
Molinar was a major contributor, creating numerous chances via the cross from the left side. He beat his man often and with ease, enabling him to slot passes back into the box from the endline, yet Duke still could not put its scoring threats away.
"I feel like I created some pretty good chances, getting low crosses in," Molinar said. "We just have to work on finishes."
Grella, too, generated opportunities for Duke throughout the match, combining with his freshman counterpart for impressive play in the offensive zone before finally capping off his play at the end of the game. Grella posted five shots, tied for the team lead on the night with Bethel. A team-best three of Bethel's shots were on net, and Molinar added two shots on goal.
Now, with four straight wins under its belt, Duke can turn its attention to a Friday night matchup against No. 4 Maryland in College Park, Md. And in that game, the Blue Devils know they need to finish when they can.
"We know we weren't firing on all cylinders, and we know Maryland is a real tough opponent," Kerr said. "We'll hopefully be more prepared mentally and physically for that game on Friday."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.