Prior to the game, head coach John Kerr said Duke needed a “spark.” It got just that from veterans Matthew Thomas, Chris Tweed-Kent and Cole Grossman, who stepped up to provide energy and lift the Blue Devils past Furman 4-0 last night at Koskinen Stadium.
Although the Paladins (7-5-4) came into the game with strong wins under their belt, including a victory over No. 25 College of Charleston Oct. 22, they failed to contain an invigorated Duke offense that scored twice in both halves of the match.
The No. 24 Blue Devils (7-4-4) first got on the scoreboard in the 13th minute when redshirt-senior Thomas put away a corner kick from sophomore Ryan Finley for his second goal of the season. Finley’s service into the box was batted around by Sebastien Ibeagha and Andrew Wenger before Thomas finally put the ball past goalkeeper Alec Kann.
“We got the first goal, which is always key for us,” Kerr said. “If we get on the scoresheet early, it always gives us a little more confidence and our movement was a little bit better tonight.”
The Blue Devils’ improved movement was evident later in the half when Grossman increased Duke’s lead to 2-0 after he poked in a cross from Chris Tweed-Kent. He also assisted both goals in the second half, and he has a team-leading nine assists on the season.
The Blue Devils, coming off a disappointing conference loss to Clemson, knew that establishing an early presence was critical.
“I think we all feel the added pressure,” Grossman said. “I don’t have too many games left, so there’s definitely some added intensity. I wanted to definitely get on the scoreboard.”
Part of Duke’s early success came from their physical play, resulting in nine first half fouls that stagnated the Furman attack. Perhaps more notable were the non-calls throughout the half that drew the ire of coaches and players from both teams. Finley received a yellow card in the 28th minute for arguing a foul call outside the Blue Devils’ box. Fortunately for Duke, the Paladins could not convert as freshman midfielder Josh Fusan’s free kick skimmed off the post.
“[The defense was] more compact, tight as a unit,” sophomore goalkeeper James Belshaw said. “Our communication was a lot better tonight than it was at Clemson.”
The Blue Devils came out a little flat in the second half and seemingly coasted along, until Duke eventually scored two goals within 29 seconds of each other—the first by Grossman, the second by Finley—to give Duke an insurmountable 4-0 lead. Finley’s goal ties him for the Division I scoring lead with 14 on the year.
Yet, while the offense will receive the majority of the credit for their four-goal performance, the defense deserves much of the praise as Duke pitched its sixth shutout of the season.
“For us, I think like most teams in Division I college soccer, it starts with our defensive intensity,” Grossman said. “We just didn’t have any of that for most of the Clemson game.”
Indeed, the Blue Devils will have to continue with that intensity as they finish regular season play with two consecutive ACC games, first at Virginia Tech and then at home against Wake Forest.
“[The win] gives us a lot of confidence, and we feel good about what we’re doing,” Kerr said. “Coming off a bad loss against Clemson, this really helps get our morale and team going again.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.