Former Blue Devils Begin MLS Playoffs Tonight

DURHAM, N.C.—The MLS Cup Playoffs will get underway this week with a host of former Blue Devils vying for the ultimate prize awarded Dec. 6 in the MLS Cup Final. Action begins with the Eastern Conference knockout rounds Oct. 28.

Jay Heaps, former Duke two-sport athlete and Hall of Fame member, leads the New England Revolution in the knockout round against DC United Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m., at RFK Stadium. Seeded fifth, the Revs went 0-1-1 against DC United during the regular season.

Heaps and the Revs finished the year with a 14-12-8 overall record, edging Toronto FC for the fifth spot by a single point. The Revolution advanced to the MLS Cup Final a year ago, falling to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Darrius Barnes, a 2008 Duke graduate and seven-year member of the Revolution, missed this season with the Revs to injury.

Fresh off winning the Supporters Shield as the MLS regular season champions, former Duke standouts Mike Grella and Sean Davis head into the playoffs with the New York Red Bulls as the No. 1 overall seed. They will take on the lowest seed remaining from the knockout round. The first leg is Nov. 1 and the second is Nov. 8.

Grella started 30 games for the Red Bulls and finished with nine goals and seven assists for 25 points. He recently registered the fastest goal in MLS history, scoring in seven seconds against the Philadelphia Union. Davis, a 2014 Duke graduate, signed with the Red Bulls as a homegrown player and played in 14 games. He registered one assist on the year. He also had two goals in the friendly with Chelsea FC.

Off the field, Hermann Award winner Ali Curtis is the Sporting Director for the Red Bulls. He oversees and guides all technical and soccer-related decisions.

Also in the front office, Garth Lagerwey is the General Manager and President of Soccer for the Seattle Sounders. He hopes the Seattle Sounders can bring him a second MLS Cup after he helped lead Real Salt Lake to the title as the GM in 2009.

Seattle kicks off the playoffs Oct. 28 against reigning champion LA Galaxy at 10 p.m. (ET).

The MLS Cup will be played December 6 at 4 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.

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