Boston College Downs Duke, 4-2, On Wet Grass Of Koskinen

Friday, October 5

Durham, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Boston College

Boston College Downs Duke, 4-2, On Wet Grass Of Koskinen

10/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. --- The No. 4 Blue Devils (7-3-0. 2-1-0) dropped a wild game to the No. 6 Eagles (7-1-1, 4-0-0), 4-2, on a rain-soaked field on Friday night. The match featured six goals, 30 shots, 22 fouls and four yellow cards. The game can be seen on-demand on ACCSelect.com.

Boston College got on the scoreboard early when junior midfielder Alejandro Bedoya broke through the defense with the ball and ripped a shot from the top of the 18-yard line that senior goalkeeper Justin Papadakis made a brilliant diving save on. Unfortunately the ball spun high and towards the goal and Bedoya easily headed it from point blank range into an empty net.

The Eagles would strike again in the 32nd minute as junior defender Paul Gerstenberger took a controversial direct free kick from 30 yards out that bended into the back of the net.

Just over 10 minutes later as the end of the half was nearing, freshman Cole Grossman scored his second goal of the season from 15 yards out. The play started as senior midfielder Zack Pope made a move down the right side and made a perfect cross in the middle to graduate student and forward Joshua Medcalf. Medcalf dribbled to his left and laid a short pass across to Grossman, who one-timed it into the left side of the net.

The half would end with B.C. up 2-1, but Duke would come out with the same intensity they finished the half with. Medcalf headed in a score from eight yards out to the left post after a one-time pass over the defense from Pope and a one-time cross into the box by junior forward Mike Grella. That tied the game with 39:57 remaining. It was Pope's second dish in the game.

The rest of the match would be all Eagles, as they tallied a goal only four minutes later and never looked back. Boston College retook the lead when Gerstenberger played a free kick from the right corner onto the foot of Bedoya, who deflected it into the goal for his sixth score of the season.

Duke would try in vain to even the contest, but was only able to manage four more second half shots. The Eagles got insurance with 16:47 left as junior midfielder Paul Konicoff finished a rebound from a save that Papadakis made on a shot by senior forward Sherron Manswell.

Once again the Blue Devils were without senior defender and captain Tim Jepson, who has been out will a muscle pull injury in all nine of the Blue Devils' games this season. Jepson will look to make his return against North Carolina next Thursday. Freshmen Christian Ibeagha (nine starts and 805 minutes) and Doug Ferner (231 minutes played in eight games) have picked up the slack in Jepson's absence.

Senior midfielder Joe Germanese was also held out of the match with an injury. Filling in was senior midfielder/forward Spencer Wadsworth and Grossman.

Duke was outshot for the first time this season, 18-12. Duke has still outshot the opposition this season 209-91, and holds a shots-on-goal advantage of 85-42.

The Blue Devils had only given up five goals in their first eight games but have surrendered six in their last two. Friday marked the first time since September 11, 2005, against St. John's that Duke had given up four goals in a game.

Duke is now 2-1 all-time against Boston College. The Blue Devils defeated the Eagles 3-0 in 2005 and 1-0 in 2006.

Duke's loss ended their four-game win streak, which was best in the ACC before tonight.

John Rennie's record as a collegiate coach dropped to 450-202-48 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. This will be his final season as Duke's head coach, a decision made prior to the 2007 season.

Duke heads to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Thurs., Oct. 11 for an 8:30 p.m. showdown with archrival North Carolina. The Blue Devils will then host No. 1 Wake Forest on Fri., Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Duke's 13 seniors and the departing Rennie will be honored in a pre-game ceremony that evening.

-d-u-k-e-