In its 5-0 win Tuesday against Stony Brook (2-8-1), Duke found out the easiest way to improve a struggling offense is to bring back a preseason All-American.
Senior forward Mike Grella, who returned after receiving a one-game suspension for his Sept. 19 red card, led the charge for Duke (6-3-1) in Koskinen Stadium with three goals and an assist for a total of seven points.
Grella's presence was felt early. In the 15th minute, sophomore Cole Grossman was the beneficiary of Grella's perfect through pass that led to his first goal of the season.
"Any time you return the best player in the country, it helps a lot," Grossman said of Grella. "On my goal, I just tried to find his feet and he gave it right back to me. I was all alone, and I was able to put it right under the goalie."
Later in the game, Grella lit up the scoreboard all by himself.
With 15 minutes to play, Grella scored his first goal. In the 79th minute, Grella scored again. And, finally, to cap off his hat trick, Grella added a final score six minutes later. It was a fitting return for the team's leading scorer.
"I was just excited to come back and play," Grella said. "I haven't played for over a week now."
Freshman Kwasi Ayisi completed the Blue Devils' scoring with an unassisted goal in the 85th minute.
Duke dominated play from the start, but only Grossman was able to score in the first half despite the Blue Devils' controlling the ball.
"We looked pretty good," head coach John Kerr said. "We passed the ball pretty well, and we moved into good spots. We just didn't get that last finish, but I was pleased with the movement and the sharpness of the group."
But the half that brought offense also brought some bad news for Duke.
Early in the second half, freshman forward Kyle Bethel went up for a ball and collided with 6-foot-7 Stony Brook goalkeeper Dawid Ditrich.
As Bethel fell to the ground, all his teammates heard was a loud crack.
"I heard the pop, and I wasn't even that close," Grossman said. "I was halfway between midfield and the box, but I was talking to guys on the bench afterwards, and they heard it, too."
Bethel left the game for X-rays. His prognosis was still unclear after the game.
But despite losing its second-leading scorer, Duke raised its level of play soon after the Bethel injury and finished the opportunities it had missed in the first half-thanks in large part to its other goal-scoring forward, healthier than ever.
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