Duke men's soccer looks for bounce-back performance

After Friday night’s disappointing 1-0 loss to Virginia, Duke will look to rebound against the Georgia State Panthers at Koskinen Stadium at 7 p.m.

The Panthers (2-1) also come in looking to get back to their winning ways after dropping their last match to Evansville in a tight 3-2 overtime thriller. Georgia State has played only three games, but star player Alex Vivanco has already racked up three goals. The Panthers will look to him as a major offensive threat as they test their 4-3-3 offense against a Blue Devil defense that has let up five goals in four games and is still searching for their first shutout of the season.

Duke (1-3) has gotten off to a slow start, but is looking to use this week to revamp its slow-paced offense. A team that has started eight underclassman, the Blue Devils are trying to bring a fresh, attacking attitude to the offense, while minimizing the defensive lapses which have recently been their downfall.

Kerr and the Blue Devils have been using their recent practices to work out their offensive issues.

“We’re making some differences in practice. We’re trying to attack space,” Kerr said. “In the past we’ve sort of hesitated and haven’t been as deliberate at attacking space that our opponents leave in front of us. We’re making sure that when we have openings in the defense, that we go after it right away, and don’t hesitate”

This game will be a good opportunity for Duke to work out its kinks on both sides of the ball before they begin heavy conference play, starting with Clemson (1-2-2), which will be traveling to Durham this Friday night to take on the Blue Devils.