On quite possibly the nicest November day you'll see in Durham, the Blue Devils' play matched the perfection of the surrounding atmosphere.
For the first time this season, Duke was seamless in its 3-1 win over Northern Illinois in Koskinen Stadium.
"We've been through a lot this season in terms of ups and downs," head coach John Kerr said. "We feel good about the direction we're headed."
And good things happened early for the Blue Devils (10-5-2), as sophomore Cole Grossman scored in the second minute off of a Mike Grella corner kick. After a scuffle in the box, Grossman found the back of the net for the tally. The sophomore posted an impressive stat line against the Huskies (8-4-4) with two goals and one assist.
Even though Grossman's statistics were impressive, they didn't represent his total impact on the game.
Grossman and the midfield ably worked with the defense to bring the ball into the attack, something that the Blue Devils have struggled with on the season.
"I think we did a good job of passing the ball better today," Grossman said. "When we pass the ball, we are a really dangerous team."
Grossman certainly didn't do it alone, as he was supported by Grella, who has made himself an All-American candidate with his 12 goals and seven assists for the year.
"On the second goal, Grella just made an unbelievable play and the ball happened to come right to me," Grossman said. "Mike Grella makes opportunities for everybody any time he's on the field."
Grossman would certainly know, considering both of his goals were the result of Grella assists. The midfielder returned the favor, though, assisting Grella on the third and final Blue Devil score.
Duke still had a dominant defensive effort, like it has had all year. Although it gave up one goal, the Blue Devils' defensive line held the Huskies to few chances. Senior Darrius Barnes routinely won every head ball-even when giving up three inches to 6-foot-5 Northern Illinois forward Finn Jor.
Even though the Duke defenders seem to anticipate each other's movements, they nevertheless talked with one another on the field to maintain shape in the back line.
"Communication is definitely one of the big things," freshman defender Ian Kailis said. "We're really comfortable with each other, we know how each other plays, we know each others' strengths and weaknesses. It doesn't matter that they're seniors and I'm a freshman, I still tell them what to do and they tell me what to do. It's mutual."
With only one game left in the schedule, the Blue Devils have found their groove and hope to maintain their upward progress. And as the team's health continues to improve, so will its chemistry, which is happening just in time for the postseason.
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