Duke Hosts Charlotte to Kick Off Spring Slate

How to Follow
Stream: ESPN App | Live Stats | Twitter

Breaking Down the Blue Devils

The Blue Devils open spring action after going 2-6 in the fall. The two wins came against ACC foe NC State. Head coach John Kerr has arranged a challenging 2021 slate, featuring three non-conference games against teams ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in the polls.
For the first time in 66 games and 1,267 days, Duke will see a new face starting in goal as junior Eliot Hamill earned the nod. This will be his first collegiate action in an official game. He did see time as a field player during a couple of spring scrimmages in his career.
Offensively, Duke scored nine goals in the fall with Jack Doran pacing the team with three. Stephen O'Connell and Daniel Wright both contributed a pair, while rookie midfielder Nick Pariano had a goal and three assists. The Blue Devils managed 10.38 shots per game, ranking seventh in the ACC. However, their 6.12 corner kicks per game were second in the league.
Matthias Frick and Ian Murphy are the veterans who will anchor the defense this spring. Duke will be without Frick due to a red card against Pitt in the final game of the fall campaign.
Murphy will be joined by rookies Antino Lopez and Amir Daley to start the season. Freshman Lewis McGarvey will return to his role as a defensive center midfielder. Outstanding in the air, McGarvey and rookie playmaker and workhorse Peter Stroud will be the ball winners in the center of the field. Defensively, Duke allowed 10.3 shots per game, four on goal and 1.88 goals per game in the eight fall outings.

About Charlotte

Charlotte opens the 2021 season after a strong 2019 campaign, going 12-4-4. The 49ers are ranked 22nd in the College Soccer News preseason poll and 19th by Top Drawer Soccer. have played on exhibition game, tying Liberty
The 49ers have played one exhibition game, tying Liberty 1-1. Rookie Jonathan Nyandjo scored the goal for Charlotte in the scrimmage as it held the Flames to only four shots.
Redshirt senior Patrick Hogan headlines the returners for Charlotte. Hogan is the reigning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and recently landed on the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List. He was integral in the 49ers having the seventh-best scoring defense (0.66 goals allowed per game) in 2019, while also scoring four. Luke Johnson and Joe Brito also were named to Preseason All-Conference USA.

Welcome Aboard

Duke welcomes the addition of striker Thorleiuf Ulfarsson from Iceland for the spring portion of the 2020-21 campaign. Ulfarsson hails from Kopavogur, Iceland after a long career with the club Breidablik, just south of Reykjavik.
Ulfarsson most recently spent this past season on loan at Vikingur Olafsvik, which plays in the second tier in Iceland. While playing with Vikingur Olafsvik, he started four games in the shortened season and tallied a goal in a 3-2 victory of Magni.
A part of Breidablik since age six, Ulfarsson earned a spot on the U23 squad from 2017-20, despite being just a teenager. During those three seasons, the 6-foot-1 forward helped the club earn runner-up finishes in the Pepsi-deild karla – Iceland's top football league – all three seasons. He also helped Breidablik lift the cup in the summer of 2019.

Stroud Garners Best XI Notice

With so few teams taking the field in the fall, all the preseason awards and rankings were put on hold until this spring. Headlining Duke's preseason honors is rookie Peter Stroud on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Freshman Best XI squad.
Stroud, a starter in all eight games in the fall, is among four ACC rookies on the 11-man team.

Up Next

Duke stays at home to welcome Kentucky to Koskinen Stadium, Feb. 19. The game is a reschedule from the originally scheduled contest in the fall. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Duke Hosts Charlotte to Kick Off Spring Slate

Players Mentioned

Amir Daley

Jack Doran

Matthias Frick

Eliot Hamill

Antino Lopez

Lewis McGarvey

Ian Murphy

Stephen O'Connell

Nick Pariano

Peter Stroud

Daniel Wright

Duke information

Duke Hosts Charlotte to Kick Off Spring Slate

Related News

Players Mentioned

Amir Daley

Jack Doran

Matthias Frick

Eliot Hamill

Antino Lopez

Lewis McGarvey

Ian Murphy

Stephen O'Connell

Nick Pariano

Peter Stroud

Daniel Wright

Related Videos

Duke information