Barajas Leads Duke Past Merrimack, 4-0

Sunday, August 29

Durham, N.C.

12 P.M.

Duke University

Merrimack

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Barajas Leads Duke Past Merrimack, 4-0

8/29/2021 5:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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DURHAM – Duke men's soccer (2-0-0) wrapped up its opening weekend with a 4-0 win over Merrimack (0-2-0) on Sunday afternoon at Koskinen Stadium.

The Blue Devils were paced by a stellar day from freshman Felix Barajas, who scored in the 45th and 70th minutes and contributed to Duke's second goal in the 29th minute, on what resulted in a Merrimack own goal. Sophomore Nick Pariano opened the scoring for the Blue Devils on a penalty kick for his first goal of the season in the sixth minute. Fellow sophomore JT Harms recorded the first solo shutout of his career, making two saves.

"I'm very pleased," said Head Coach John Kerr. "It was very warm out here today for both teams and it was a little bit sloppy in the first half with our passing and giving the ball away a little bit too easy, but overall a good performance. We got a lot of guys in today, got us some time and we're still developing, still getting to know each other. We are still in that learning process, but if we can get shutouts and score a few goals in the run of play then I will continue to be happy."

Right out of the gate, the Blue Devils pressured the Merrimack goalkeeper Alvaro Rodriguez, registering their first of 21 shots in the fifth minute. The second opportunity proved incredibly fruitful, with Peter Stroud making a quick move into the box to draw a yellow card on a Merrimack defender and set up the Pariano penalty kick. The Philadelphia, Pa., native would make no mistake, burying a low-liner into the back of the net to give Duke a 1-0 lead.

The pressure would continue throughout the first half, with the Blue Devils registering 16 shots and all 11 shots on goal. Stroud and Scotty Taylor delivered several great chances, but Merrimack's Rodriguez stood firm, making eight saves in the half.

However, Taylor would help extend the lead when he fired a cross into the Merrimack box in the 29th minute looking for Barajas, where it met the feet of a Merrimack defender and bounced into the net, as the Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead. It would not be the last time Barajas was in the mix, as the freshman played 77 minutes and registered five shots in the game.

Just before halftime, Barajas was at it again, finding a feed from fellow freshman Jai Bean. The Los Angeles, Calif., native ripped the ball into the top right corner of the net to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Barajas and Bean combined for their first career points, with senior Ian Murphy adding a secondary assist.

The Blue Devils would control possession in the second half, seeing several players make their season debuts. After a collision in the Merrimack end that resulted in Taylor and the Warriors Stefano Pesenti earning matching red cards, the Duke offense utilized the extra space in 10-on-10 action to create even more chances.

Barajas became Duke's first multi-goal scorer of the season in the 70th minute. The ball found the feet of Luke Thomas outside the box, and he delivered a cross to the head of Barajas, who flicked the ball over the outstretched arms of Rodriguez to take a 4-0 advantage. Thomas recorded his second assist of the season and fourth point to lead the Blue Devils.

With the win, the Blue Devils have now earned back-to-back shutouts to match the 2019 season, in which the team won its first four games in the same manner. The team's seven goals through the first two games are the most by a Blue Devils' squad since 2014, where they scored nine.

The Blue Devils will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 2, when they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face Michigan at 7 p.m. Duke will return home on Monday, Sept. 6, when it hosts Seattle at 7 p.m.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMSOC".

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