Balanced Attack Leads Blue Devils Past Navy

Tuesday, October 20

Durham, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Navy

Balanced Attack Leads Blue Devils Past Navy

10/20/2009 9:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.-Three different players tallied goals and six players overall registered a point to lead 19th-ranked Duke past Navy, 3-0, in non-conference men's soccer action this evening at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils are now 8-1 overall at home this season with five shutouts to their credit in those nine games. The win is the 100th career victory for head coach John Kerr.

Freshman Ryan Finley, junior Cole Grossman and sophomore Christopher Tweed-Kent each scored, with Finley tallying the game's first goal for the game winner.

The Midshipmen owned much of the possession in the opening 15 minutes, but it was the Blue Devils who were able to create the better scoring opportunities. The first good look came from the foot of Finley in the sixth minute, while senior Josh Bienenfeld fired a shot on frame in the 15th minute. Navy goalie Tyler Bristol stepped up to make saves and keep Duke off the scoreboard.

"Navy came out and played a great first 25 and 30 minutes," Kerr said. "They were buzzing all over the field, they were moving the ball quickly and causing us all kinds of problems defensively. And we weren't sharp enough in the first 25 minutes. But once we got into the game we understood what they were trying to do and we stepped up our pressure and we dominated the second part of the first half."

Duke picked up its level of play over the final 20 minutes, applying pressure all over the field. Ignited by the play of sophomore Temi Molinar on the right wing, the Blue Devils grabbed the 1-0 lead from a Finley goal with 20 minutes left in the opening frame. Molinar collected the ball in the offensive third, beat two Midshipmen and fed a perfect through ball to Finley, who calmly slotted it past Bristol for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

"I think [Temi] beat two or three kids and he played a nice through ball," Finley said of Molinar's assist. "It was an easy finish, [Temi] did all the hard work."

The final 20 minutes was all Duke as the Blue Devils ran at the Navy defense in search of the second tally. Finley seemingly earned that 2-0 advantage at the 8:48 mark, but his shot was disallowed for offside and sent the Blue Devils into the break with the 1-0 lead.

Finley was at it again in the opening minutes of the second half. The native of Lumberton, N.J. broke loose in the box and ripped a shot at Bristol who made a great save to keep it a one goal game. Three minutes later, Grossman gave the Blue Devils the 2-0 lead with a well-placed shot to the left corner from 25 yards out. The tally was his sixth of the year.

In the 58th minute, it was Tweed-Kent scoring his first collegiate goal to make it a 3-0 game. Sophomore Ryan Ruffing served the initial cross into the box and junior Nick Sih flicked it across the area to earn assists on the play.

The Blue Devils remained in control in the final 30 minutes, holding the Midshipmen to just two shots and posting the team's sixth shutout of the season. Freshman Ryan Belshaw made one stop, while sophomore Jan Trnka-Amrhein came on to make one save and preserve the shutout. Bristol had four stops and Will Craven added one more for Navy.

Duke held a 15-3 advantage in shots and a slight 2-1 edge in corner kicks.

Duke resumes ACC play this weekend, hosting Clemson on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

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