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Duke Travels to No. 3 Wake Forest for NCAA Tournament
11/28/2009 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C.--The Duke University men's soccer team will look to continue its NCAA Tournament run against No. 3 Wake Forest in third round action on Sunday, Nov. 29 at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem. The Blue Devils and Demon Deacons square off at 5 p.m.
Tickets are available for $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. More information can be found by visiting Wake Forest's Tournament Central Web site.
How Duke Got Here
After earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Duke edged Winthrop 3-2 in the first round in Durham, N.C., and defeated Michigan State 2-1 in East Lansing in the second round. The Blue Devils posted a 12-5 regular season record and fell to Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Duke is 10-1 against non-acc opponents this season, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Davidson College, and 4-5 against conference foes.
Series History
Duke and Wake Forest are meeting for the 40th time overall and for the first time in NCAA Tournament history. The Blue Devils lead the series 21-13-5, but the Demon Deacons own the most recent victory against Duke, winning 3-0 during the regular season. Duke last defeated Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament in 2006.
NCAA Tournament Notes
Duke earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 23rd time overall and for the sixth consecutive year. The Blue Devils defeated Winthrop in the first round to move into the second round for the first time since 2006. In the second round, Duke edged No. 14 seed Michigan State 2-1 to move into the round of 16 for the 12th time and for the third time since the field was expanded to 48 teams. Duke is in search of its second NCAA Championship since first making the tournament in 1972. Duke is 28-21-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament action. Duke's one national title came in 1986 when current head coach John Kerr led the Blue Devils to an 18-5-1 record and a 1-0 win over Akron in the title match. The Blue Devils have advanced to the national semifinals five times (1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, 2004) and to the championship match three times (1982, 1986, 2004). Duke's last appearance in the College Cup came in 2004 against UC Santa Barbara.
Duke in the NCAA Tournament
Record by Round
First Round 11-10
Second Round 7-6
Third Round^ 2-0
Round of 16 % 6-5
Quarterfinals 4-1-1
Semifinals 3-2
Championship 1-2
^ since NCAA expanded field to 48 teams
% In all NCAA Tournaments
Record by Round Since 2002
First Round 2-3*
Second Round 3-1
Third Round^ 2-0
Quarterfinals 1-1
Semifinals 0-1*received a first round bye in 2005 & 2006
Duke Against the ACC
The Blue Devils hold a record of 192-174-35 all-time against ACC opponents. Duke has faced a conference foe in the NCAA Tournament eight times, posting a 5-3 overall record in those games. The last time Duke faced a team from the ACC in the tournament was in 2004 when the Blue Devils edged Virginia, 3-0 in the quarterfinal.
1982 Clemson 2nd W, 2-1 (2OT)^
1983 NC State 1st W, 2-1
1986 NC State 2nd W, 2-0
1987 UNC 1st L, 0-2
1992 Virginia SF L, 0-3
1993 UNC 1st L, 2-3
1995 Virginia SF W, 3-2
2004 Virginia QF W, 3-0^Advanced on penalty kicks
The Road To The College Cup
The last time the Blue Devils advanced to the NCAA College Cup they defeated the Big South conference champion in the first round, a Big Ten squad in the third round and an ACC foe in the quarterfinal. In 2004, Duke dropped Coastal Carolina 3-0 before beating Old Dominion of the Colonial Athletic Association in the second round. The Blue Devils dropped Big Ten foe Ohio State in the third round to earn a spot in the quarterfinal where Duke dominated Virginia 3-0. That year was the lone time Duke had met a Big South school in the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting The Blue Devils
Duke enters the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 14-6 overall record. The Blue Devils most recently edged No. 14 seed Michigan State 2-1 in East Lansing, Mich. Freshman Ryan Finley headlines the offense with 25 points from 10 goals and five assists, while junior Cole Grossman has 24 points from seven goals and 10 assists. Anchored by the backline of senior Matthew Thomas juniors Nick Sih and Christian Ibeagha and freshman Andrew Wenger, the Blue Devils have allowed 21 goals on the year and posted seven shutouts. In goal, freshman James Belshaw sports a 1.17 goals against average and a .718 save percentage in 18 starts. He also has three shutouts to his name. Duke is 2-4-0 on the road in 2009.
Scouting Wake Forest
Wake Forest earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament and advanced to the round of 16 after defeating UNC Wilmington 2-1 in the second round. The Demon Deacons have won 13 of their past 14 NCAA Tournament contests after winning the national title in 2007. Zack Schilawski leads the attack with 28 points (11g, 6a), while Austin da Luz has a team-high 12 assists and 22 points overall. Andy Lubahn has 18 points and Corben Bone has chipped in 15. Wake Forest leads the league in goals and is ranked 11th nationally in scoring offense. Defensively, the Deacs have let in just 15 goals to rank 14th in the nation in goals against average. Akira Fitzgerald has played nearly every minute and sports a 0.63 goals against average and a .849 save percentage. Wake Forest is 7-2-1 at home this season.
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