Following a tough loss to Syracuse Friday, Duke will look to rebound during a break in ACC play against a Wright State squad that has not competed against the Blue Devils in more than 15 years.
Duke will look to snag a nonconference victory in between two demanding ACC opponents Tuesday night as it hosts the Raiders at Koskinen Stadium 7 p.m.
“We’ve got to bounce back,” head coach John Kerr said. “We’ve reflected over the past few days on what we need to improve on, and most of all it’s the attitude and the kind of preparation going in. We have to be less loosey-goosey and more focused.”
Against Syracuse, the Blue Devils (3-2-2) squandered a second-half lead and fell 2-1. Although freshman Brody Huitema notched his third goal in two games, Duke's effort was not enough to pick up the win.
Using a loss to Syracuse to fuel the fire, the Blue Devils will make a concerted effort to maintain their intensity throughout the game against Wright State.
“I think everyone’s disappointed with how we performed on Friday night,” Kerr said. “That’s what’s motivating us right now. I think we’ve got to dig deep and get after it. Tomorrow, if we score early, we want to score again and again and again.”
After going scoreless in his first five collegiate contests, Huitema's emergence has added an additional dimension to Duke's offensive attack. The freshman will play a key role again Tuesday night when his team takes on a physical defense that has racked up 72 fouls in its first five contests.
“Hopefully I’ll get opportunities,” Huitema said. “I just need to make sure I focus on them and finish them.”
Though a consistent offense remains a priority for Duke, Tuesday's match will provide an opportunity to sure up the play of the Blue Devils' back line, which looks to the two second-half goals it allowed against the Orange to identify room for improvement.
“I think we’re a little disappointed with some of the goals we let Syracuse and some of the other teams score,” senior midfielder Rob Dolot said. “We felt like there were things multiple people could have done to prevent those goals.”
Although the Raiders (1-3-1) are unranked, they will certainly test Duke throughout the match. Kerr noted Wright State’s 0-0 stalemate against Ohio State earlier this month as an example of the team's potential.
Like the Blue Devils, Wright State is coming off a disappointing result as well. The Raiders fell to Northern Kentucky 2-1 Friday at home.
Dolot said that a solid performance against Wright State will set the Blue Devils up to compete with a top-ranked Notre Dame squad Friday evening.
“We’re just looking to build off of it,” he said. “Hopefully getting a good victory over Wright State. We’ve got Notre Dame on Friday so, even though we’re thinking of Wright State first, hopefully the game will serve as a springboard to the ACC game.”
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