Upcoming Event: Men's Soccer versus Syracuse on September 19, 2025 at 7 p.m.
/
7 p.m.
Men's Soccer
vs Syracuse
.png&width=24&height=24&type=webp)
Photo by: Duke Athletics
On This Date: Duke Captures 1986 NCAA Title
12/13/2020 10:57:00 AM | Men's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C.—On this day 34 years ago, head coach John Rennie and the Duke men's soccer team captured the first NCAA team championship in Duke University history with a 1-0 win over Akron in Tacoma, Washington.
Relive the special moment in Blue Devil history by reading the story below. It will take you back to Dec. 13, 1986 in Tacoma, Washington.
Blue Devils Capture Duke's 1st National Title
The locals call Tacoma the "City of Destiny." They received no argument from the Duke soccer team in 1986.
The Blue Devils brought home the school's first NCAA team championship, clinching the soccer title with a 1-0 victory over Akron on Dec. 13.
On four previous occasions, athletic teams at Duke had played for national championships and lost, including one in soccer four years prior.
The 1986 triumph erased some of the sting from Duke's 2-1, eight-overtime defeat by Indiana in the 1982 title match and fulfilled a four-year dream of that year's class of 11 seniors to return to the championship game and bring the trophy home.
"Unfinished business" was the way coach John Rennie referred to Duke's title match. "This feels just unbelievable," he added.
Blue Devils Tom Stone and Kelly Weadock claimed the offensive and defensive most valuable player awards in the game. Stone, a junior forward, scored the lone goal at 46:38, and senior sweeper Weadock, starting all 87 games in his Duke career, anchored the Blue Devils' defense to its 12th shutout of the season.
Rennie found it hard to single out players for commendation, however. "If Duke University were to give a degree to this team, then it would be for chemistry," he said. "Our guys had their own magic formula for the last six weeks. Chemistry is what all great teams have."
Although the game was played on the artificial indoor surface of the Tacoma Dome, Duke, 18-5-1, stuck with virtually the same game plan that had carried them to the championship game: attack early and get the ball out of their end quickly.
The quick-striking Blue Devils took only 1:38 of the second half to put the game's only goal on the scoreboard. Robert Probst was fouled near midfield by Akron forward Roderick Scott.
Freshman midfielder Joe Valenti took the long free kick for Duke. He crossed the ball over the head of Akron sweeper Matt Smith to the far post for Carl Williamson, who knocked it back to the near post for Stone.
"It came right to my left leg and I swung away," said Stone, who drilled it high into the open net from seven yards out for his 16th goal of the year, just one off the school record. Half of those goals were game-winners, and Stone credited Rennie for making him a more effective offensive player that year.
"All Coach Rennie has said," 'Get up in the box, your chances will come, I promise,'" Stone said. Four of his goals came in the NCAA playoffs, more than any other Blue Devil.
Both teams concentrated their defenses to stop the opposition's top scorer. Duke used Probst, a freshman stopper, to mark Scott, a sophomore forward who was also a member of the Canadian National Team.
Akron fullback Shaun Docking was assigned to Duke's John Kerr, who, following the championship, was named the recipient of the 1986 Hermann Trophy, given to the nation's top player, and the National Player of the Year Award of the Missouri Athletic Club.
The Zips' Scott was held to two harmless first half shots by Probst, who earned Rennie's praise. "He's done that all year," the coach said. "He was able to shut down Scott for almost a full game. We always assign him to the opposition's most important player. Most of the damage Scott did was out away from the goal. We forced him to lay the ball out to other players, while he couldn't perform his magic."
Added Rennie, "You win with defense. It's like that in any sport."
Call it destiny if you like. The Duke soccer team could then wave their extended index fingers and chant, "We're number one," and know it was true.
#GoDuke
Relive the special moment in Blue Devil history by reading the story below. It will take you back to Dec. 13, 1986 in Tacoma, Washington.
Blue Devils Capture Duke's 1st National Title
The locals call Tacoma the "City of Destiny." They received no argument from the Duke soccer team in 1986.
The Blue Devils brought home the school's first NCAA team championship, clinching the soccer title with a 1-0 victory over Akron on Dec. 13.
On four previous occasions, athletic teams at Duke had played for national championships and lost, including one in soccer four years prior.
The 1986 triumph erased some of the sting from Duke's 2-1, eight-overtime defeat by Indiana in the 1982 title match and fulfilled a four-year dream of that year's class of 11 seniors to return to the championship game and bring the trophy home.
"Unfinished business" was the way coach John Rennie referred to Duke's title match. "This feels just unbelievable," he added.
Blue Devils Tom Stone and Kelly Weadock claimed the offensive and defensive most valuable player awards in the game. Stone, a junior forward, scored the lone goal at 46:38, and senior sweeper Weadock, starting all 87 games in his Duke career, anchored the Blue Devils' defense to its 12th shutout of the season.
Rennie found it hard to single out players for commendation, however. "If Duke University were to give a degree to this team, then it would be for chemistry," he said. "Our guys had their own magic formula for the last six weeks. Chemistry is what all great teams have."
Although the game was played on the artificial indoor surface of the Tacoma Dome, Duke, 18-5-1, stuck with virtually the same game plan that had carried them to the championship game: attack early and get the ball out of their end quickly.
The quick-striking Blue Devils took only 1:38 of the second half to put the game's only goal on the scoreboard. Robert Probst was fouled near midfield by Akron forward Roderick Scott.
Freshman midfielder Joe Valenti took the long free kick for Duke. He crossed the ball over the head of Akron sweeper Matt Smith to the far post for Carl Williamson, who knocked it back to the near post for Stone.
"It came right to my left leg and I swung away," said Stone, who drilled it high into the open net from seven yards out for his 16th goal of the year, just one off the school record. Half of those goals were game-winners, and Stone credited Rennie for making him a more effective offensive player that year.
"All Coach Rennie has said," 'Get up in the box, your chances will come, I promise,'" Stone said. Four of his goals came in the NCAA playoffs, more than any other Blue Devil.
Both teams concentrated their defenses to stop the opposition's top scorer. Duke used Probst, a freshman stopper, to mark Scott, a sophomore forward who was also a member of the Canadian National Team.
Akron fullback Shaun Docking was assigned to Duke's John Kerr, who, following the championship, was named the recipient of the 1986 Hermann Trophy, given to the nation's top player, and the National Player of the Year Award of the Missouri Athletic Club.
The Zips' Scott was held to two harmless first half shots by Probst, who earned Rennie's praise. "He's done that all year," the coach said. "He was able to shut down Scott for almost a full game. We always assign him to the opposition's most important player. Most of the damage Scott did was out away from the goal. We forced him to lay the ball out to other players, while he couldn't perform his magic."
Added Rennie, "You win with defense. It's like that in any sport."
Call it destiny if you like. The Duke soccer team could then wave their extended index fingers and chant, "We're number one," and know it was true.
#GoDuke
Cinematic Recap vs Notre Dame
Tuesday, November 12
A DOMINANT WIN OVER NOTRE DAME - MEN'S SOCCER
Tuesday, November 05
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
Welcome to Duke
Saturday, October 19
