Blue Devils Stage Dramatic Comeback, Defeat No. 3-Seed Princeton, 2-1

Sunday, November 23

Princeton, NJ

4 p.m.

Duke University

10-3-6, 4-2-2

Princeton

15-2-2, 7-0-0

Duke

Princeton

Blue Devils Stage Dramatic Comeback, Defeat No. 3-Seed Princeton, 2-1

11/23/2025 8:32:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Duke men's soccer team rallied late, scoring twice in 15 minutes, and defeated No. 3-seed Princeton, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kenan Hot scored the equalizer in the 71st minute and Leonardo D'Ambrosio scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute to send the Blue Devils (10-3-6) to the Sweet 16.

The Blue Devils will next travel to No. 14-seed Akron on Sunday, Nov. 30, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Hot and D'Ambrosio netted their eighth and fourth goals of the season, respectively, while Eryk Dymora allowed just one goal on Princeton's five shots on the net.

With the victory, the Blue Devils have reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament eight times since the field expanded to 48 teams in 2001. Duke will make its first third-round appearance since the 2022 campaign when it takes on Akron.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Eryk Dymora kept the hosts off the scoreboard early in the contest, with a full-extension save of a shot from inside the six-yard box in the fourth minute. Princeton continued to test Duke's defense, with Dymora making four saves in the first 15 minutes.
Max Simpson had his shot attempt in the 32nd minute blocked by a Princeton defender, which led to the Tigers ringing the crossbar in transition and earning a corner kick. Princeton took advantage of the opportunity, opening the scoring in the 33rd minute.
Ulfur Bjornsson put a shot on frame in the waning minutes of the first half, but Duke still trailed, 1-0, at halftime. Duke threatened early in the second half, but Julius Suber's left-footed strike whistled just wide of the right post.
Duke continued to increase the pressure as the second half evolved, with Drew Kerr's curling left-footed free kick in the 61st minute barely turned away by a diving stop by the Tigers.
The Blue Devils broke through in the 71st minute, as Kenan Hot received a through ball from Bjornsson and beat the keeper with his left foot. The Tigers went a man down less than 15 seconds later, as Daniel Ittycheria was shown his second yellow.
Duke completed the comeback, taking the lead in the 86th minute. After a flurry of activity in the penalty box, Leonardo D'Ambrosio found himself in front of the bouncing ball and he calmly slotted it into the back of the net. The Blue Devils' defense withstood two final shot attempts by the Tigers to finish off the 2-1 comeback victory.

UP NEXT

Duke advances to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, traveling to face No. 14-seed Akron on Sunday, Nov. 30 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
The Blue Devils and Zips kickoff at 4 p.m., with live streaming available on ESPN+.

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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