Moewes, Veerakone Collect Preseason Best XI Honors

DURHAM, N.C.—The Blue Devil duo of graduate student Robert Moewes and freshman Suniel Veerakone collected preseason honors from Top Drawer Soccer three days prior to the season opener. Moewes was named the first team goalkeeper in the Best XI, while Veerakone landed on the Freshman First Team list with three other rookies from around the country.

Moewes, a graduate student transfer from Binghamton University, will anchor the Blue Devils' defense this season. A two-year starter at Binghamton and a 2015 Hermann Award Watch List member, Moewes was a two-time America East Goalkeeper of the Year and earned first team all-region honors in 2014. The Dortmund, Germany native started 36 career games for the Bearcats and posted a.792 save percentage and a 1.11 goals against average. He averaged nearly five saves per game and twice recorded double-digit stops. He graduated from Binghamton in 2016 and is enrolled in the Duke Fuqua School of Business Master of Management Studies program.

A product of the Crew Soccer Academy Wolves in Michigan, Veerakone will don the No. 10 jersey for the Blue Devils in 2016. He started both of Duke's exhibition games in the attacking center midfield role. In this past academy season the Michigan native started 22 of the 25 games and tallied four goals en route to a second-place showing the In Mid-American Division. The year prior, Veerakone helped lead the team to the Mid-American Division title with a 19-2-6 in 2015. He was voted to the Top Drawer Soccer Academy Showcase Best XI in 2015 and also was named to the Playoffs Best XI by the organization.

Duke kicks off the 2016 season with the John Rennie Nike Invitational featuring the Blue Devils, Elon, San Diego and UNC Asheville. Duke will host San Diego in the season opener Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Devils will close out the tournament Aug. 28 at 2:30 p.m., against UNC Asheville. All four games of the tournament will be aired by ACC Network Extra and can be viewed on ESPN3 or through the WatchESPN app.

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