Duke Outlasts Davidson On The Road, 2-0

Wednesday, October 31

Davidson, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Davidson

Duke Outlasts Davidson On The Road, 2-0

10/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

By: Duke Sports Information

DAVIDSON, N.C. --- Senior midfielder Zack Pope broke a scoreless tie in the 74th minute and No. 17 Duke held on for a 2-0 victory on the road over Davidson on Wednesday night. Senior midfielder/forward Spencer Wadsworth also tallied a goal with less than two minutes remaining to seal the win.

For almost 75 minutes, it looked like several other Blue Devil games this season, with the Duke squad firing away but unable to find the net. The Duke defense was holding strong, limiting its opponents' opportunities and helping to push forward in attempt to get on the scoreboard.

A situation such as this had produced 1-0 losses earlier in the season to Villanova, No. 9 West Virginia and North Carolina. Fluke goals by all three teams led to Duke defeats. Just last week, Duke found the net early and dominated No. 4 Virginia Tech throughout, but a weak goal late in the game by the Hokies left the Blue Devils with a 1-1 tie in a match they felt they had the upper hand in.

However, on Halloween night, the outcome would be different. With only 15:31 remaining, Pope took a Joe Germanese cross and headed it to the opposite post to give the Blue Devils a lead they would not relinquish. It was the first goal of the season for Pope and the team-leading seventh assist for senior midfielder Germanese.

Not satisfied with just one goal and not wanting to risk a tie, Wadsworth took a pass from junior defender Graham Dugoni with 1:47 left in the match and ripped a shot to the same side Pope had scored on. It was the second straight match Wadsworth had scored in.

The Blue Devils outshot their opponent for the 13th time in 16 games this season, holding a 26-5 advantage over the Wildcats. Duke has outshot the opposition this season 308-145, and holds a shots on goal advantage of 126-69. Graduate forward Joshua Medcalf led Duke with six shots in the match, five of which were on goal.

Goalkeeper Matt McElroy was outstanding for Davidson, making seven saves in the first half to keep the Blue Devils off the scoreboard in that period. McElroy would finish with 12 stops.

The Duke defense was strong once again, holding its opponent to one goal or less for the 13th time this year and recording its fifth shutout of the season. Senior goalkeeper Justin Papadakis returned after sitting out the Cleveland St. game to rest and made two saves.

With the win, Duke improves to 10-5-1 and is 3-3-1 in the ACC this year. It was the third straight victory for the Blue Devils and the second consecutive shutout. Davidson falls to 4-11-1 this season overall and is 2-2-1 in the Southern Conference.

The Blue Devils now lead the all-time series with the Wildcats, 44-8-4. Duke has played Davidson more than any other non-conference foe in its history. That number ranks fifth among most contests played against any opponent for Duke.

John Rennie's record as a collegiate coach is now 453-203-50 in 35 years. Rennie is in fifth place all-time among NCAA Division I coaches for wins and in third place among active coaches for career wins. With his 409 victories at Duke and 94 in ACC play, Rennie has the most wins of any coach in ACC history. He won Duke's first national championship in any sport in 1986. This will be Rennie's final season as Duke's head coach, a decision made prior to the 2007 season.

Senior defender Tim Jepson was named one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually in eight NCAA Division I sports to a senior student-athlete who excels both on and off the field. Fans can vote once a day per computer online until Nov. 21 at http://soccer.seniorclassaward.com/public/men/vote.aspx. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award. Winners will be announced during the NCAA Championships, scheduled December 14-16 in Cary, N.C.

The Blue Devils return home on Sunday to take on Alabama A&M at 1 p.m., in the last match of a stretch that included six games in 17 days. It is also the final regular season home match of 2007. Admission to all regular season men's soccer games in Koskinen Stadium is free of charge and adidas hats will be given out to the first 500 fans in attendance on Sunday. On Saturday, Nov. 10, Duke will head to Method Road Soccer Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. for its final regular season game of the year against N.C. State at 2 p.m.

-d-u-k-e-