After a disappointing tie against a team the Blue Devils outplayed throughout the game, Duke will look to convert on its opportunities and finish a four-game home stretch with a win.
The Blue Devils will welcome Georgia State to Koskinen Stadium Tuesday at 7 p.m. coming off a 1-1 tie against Pittsburgh Friday in which Duke outshot the Panthers 16-8. Although the Blue Devils allow one goal per game on average, they have struggled to score much more than that themselves, with 10 goals through the first seven contests of the season—five of which came in one game.
Duke's struggle to finish plays Friday was indicative of a season-long trend. The Blue Devils are among the best teams in the ACC with 14.9 shots per game but among the worst at 1.4 goals per contest.
"We just have to work on our finishing. That's the part of the game that lets us down every time. It leads us to ties or even losses," junior midfielder Brian White said after Friday's game. "We just need to be better. [Goalkeeper Robert Moewes] is a beast in the back, he's a really good shot-stopper and keeps us in a lot of games. We just need to do our part on the offensive end."
As it enters the middle part of its schedule, Duke (3-2-2) is hoping to build momentum that can carry it to a first NCAA tournament bid since 2011. The Blue Devils will conclude a four-game home stand against Georgia State (5-4) before returning to ACC play Friday at N.C. State.
To get its offense in gear, Duke will first have to shut down a Panther attack that averages 2.0 goals per game, led by sophomore Hannes Burmeister. The first-team All-Sun Belt performer already has seven goals this season—more than twice as many as any Blue Devil—and has converted on 46.7 percent of his shots.
Six of Burmeister's goals have come in two three-goal outbursts against Memphis and Lipscomb, meaning Duke will have to be careful to not let the Bentwisch, Germany, native get comfortable and find the net early.
If the Blue Devils can once again dictate play, White, freshmen Suniel Veerakone and Max Moser and graduate student Ryan Thompson are the most likely candidates to get Duke on the scoreboard in the attacking third. All four players have shown their ability to set up or finish scoring chances early in the season and will look to punish a defense that allows 1.4 goals per game.
"We're doing a lot of things well," Kerr said after Friday's game. "I know if we would have scored another goal tonight, we would have gotten two or three more."
Although the Blue Devils also have a number of options off the bench, Kerr said Friday that senior Brody Huitema has been ruled out for the season due to multiple concussions. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded 15 goals and 10 assists during his first three seasons but had yet to play in the 2016 regular season because of the head injuries.
Last time Duke played Georgia State in 2014, Huitema scored in the Blue Devils' 2-1 win.
"I feel really terrible for him, and it's obviously a big blow for us," Kerr said. "It's disappointing because he's the kind of guy we could have used tonight to finish off these chances. He's great in the air, he's great at first-time finishes in front of goal. We're going to miss him for sure."
Kerr has consistently used at least five subs throughout the season to keep his team fresh, a trend that will likely continue following a short turnaround.
Facing a team that needed overtime to knock off UNC-Asheville—which Duke blew out 5-1 early in the season—the Blue Devils will likely have more chances to take control of Tuesday's game and go for the jugular.
As has been the case lately, the ultimate question is whether Duke will finish the crosses and other opportunities that have gone awry since it started the season 2-0-1.
"We've got to regroup and not feel sorry for ourselves, move forward and make sure we get three points on Tuesday night against Georgia State," Kerr said.
Andrew Donohue contributed reporting.
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