Duke Set for Clash at Akron in NCAA Third Round

DURHAM, N.C. - After a dramatic victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Duke men's soccer travels to No. 14-seed Akron on Sunday, Nov. 30 for a Sweet 16 matchup. The Blue Devils (10-3-6) and Zips (12-4-3) will kickoff at 4 p.m., with live streaming available on ESPN+. The winner of Sunday's match will advance to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to face either No. 11-seed Bryant or Saint Louis.

The Blue Devils earned their spot in the Sweet 16 after a comeback, 2-1, victory at No. 3-seed Princeton on Sunday, Nov. 23. Duke scored twice inside 15 minutes, starting with Kenan Hot in the 71st minute and capped by Leonardo D'Ambrosio's game-winning goal in the 86th minute.

MATCHUP NOTES

Duke holds a 3-0-0 advantage in the all-time series.
The two teams last met in 1996, with the Blue Devils securing a 1-0 victory in Durham.
Sunday presents a unique postseason rematch for the Blue Devils, as their national championship in 1986 came with a 1-0 victory over Akron.

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

With John Kerr at the helm, the Blue Devils have played in 11 total, and five consecutive, NCAA Tournaments.
Duke is 36-29-2 (.552) all-time in the NCAA Championship, headlined by the program's national title in 1986.
When playing in the third round, the Blue Devils hold a record of 3-4.
Duke is making its first third round appearance since the 2022 season, when the seventh-seeded Blue Devils advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over No. 10-seed FIU.

NEVER OUT OF IT

After multiple late rallies in the regular season to avoid a loss, Duke has continued to show its flair for the dramatic in the NCAA Tournament, scoring two game winners inside the 86th minute or later.
Ulfur Bjornsson netted the game-winning penalty kick in the 89th minute versus FDU, and Duke scored late twice at Princeton, starting with Kenan Hot in the 71st and capped by Leonardo D'Ambrosio in the 86th.
Duke also scored late equalizers in two regular-season matches this season, scoring in the 84th minute at California for a 1-1 draw and twice inside a minute at Georgetown for a 2-2 draw.

KENNY CATCHES FIRE

Senior midfielder Kenan Hot has erupted offensively this season. After entering this season with just one goal and one assist (three points) in his career, Hot has eight goals and leads the team for total points (20).
The senior was named to the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List on Oct. 10 and was a First Team All-ACC selection.

DUKE'S DEFENSE REMAINS STEADY

The Blue Devils' defensive effort has elevated the squad to near the top of the national standings for goals-against-average (0.737, 16th), led by goalkeeper Eryk Dymora (eight clean sheets, .741 save percentage) and backline anchor Kamran Acito, who earned Second Team All-ACC recognition.