The road woes continue for the Blue Devils.
A second-half score by sophomore Brody Huitema was not enough to save Duke from a fifth consecutive defeat, as the Blue Devils dropped a 2-1 decision to Elon Tuesday at Rudd Field. All three goals were scored in a 10-minute span early in the second half, and Duke could not piece together one more scoring play to avoid another road defeat.
"[Elon is] a good team, they're hard to deal with," head coach John Kerr told GoDuke.com. "They're committed and they've got guys coming from all angles. They were timely goals."
The Blue Devils (5-8-1) were shut out entirely in the first half, and not just on the scoreboard. Duke did not register a shot in the opening period of play, giving Elon goalkeeper Nathan Dean a fairly stress-free 45 minutes. On the other end of the pitch, Duke's Wilson Fisher was under heavy fire, as the Phoenix (8-4-3) sent 10 shots toward the Blue Devil net, four of which required saves by Fisher.
Fisher made his first start of the season Tuesday, as Kerr gave the senior the starting nod in place of freshman Joe Ohaus, who had started Duke's first 13 matches.
The offensive attack was unable to build a rhythm in the first half in part because the Blue Devils focused on the short game, connecting passes back and forth but not taking many probing shots farther downfield. Heading to the locker room locked in a scoreless draw, the squad made the necessary adjustments and entered the second half looking to put more pressure on the Phoenix defense.
"We played too small [in the first half], meaning we played too short on a field that didn't respond to the short passing game," Kerr said. "And then we opened things up in the second half and created a lot of opportunities, a lot of problems for them in the second half. We got in behind them several times, and we had a couple shots."
The first opportunity for the Blue Devils came just three minutes into the second frame, as freshman midfielder Bryson Asher had a look in the 48th minute that was corralled by Dean. More chances followed, but the Phoenix goalkeeper protected his turf well, tallying three saves on Duke's five second-half shots.
Elon forward Jason Waterman broke the scoreless draw in the 54th minute, sneaking a shot past Fisher from 15 yards out after receiving a pass from teammate Myles Mansfield. It was the fourth time during the Blue Devils' recent five-game skid that Duke has conceded the first goal.
But the Blue Devils had a quick answer. Less than two minutes later, a well-executed free kick from captain Sean Davis found Huitema, and the sophomore was able to bury a shot past Dean to even the score on Duke's second shot of the match.
After Huitema's goal—his third of the season—the Blue Devils had two more chances to take the lead in quick succession. Kerr said he was pleased with the resolve his team showed after going down 1-0, but the flurry of activity immediately following the Elon score did not end in a second Duke goal. Neither Bryan White nor Zach Mathers could convert their opportunities, leading to a counterattack by the Phoenix.
In the 62nd minute, Elon struck again, as junior Miguel Salazar notched his third goal of the season. Collecting the ball near midfield, the junior found some open space and fired a strike from 20 yards out that rattled the back of the net. It would prove to be the decisive blow.
"We didn't go with [Salazar] at midfield and he took us a couple of steps forward and lashed one," Kerr said. "You maybe hit one of those every couple years. Credit to him, but it's one of those days."
The Blue Devils continued to fight until the end of the match, earning their last shot attempt in the 88th minute. Looking to send the game into overtime and match Huitema with three goals on the season, senior Nick Palodichuk was stonewalled by Dean, sealing the win for the Phoenix.
"We played a lot better in the second half, [and] I'm happy with the way we responded," Kerr said. "We're a young team; we're learning the hard way, and we've got to keep progressing and keep things the right way. I thought particularly in the second half we were unlucky not to equalize."
Duke opens its final homestand of the regular season Friday at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium against Pittsburgh.
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