After freshman Ryan Finley scored the game’s first goal Friday against Maryland, the Blue Devil striker ran through a crowd of joyous teammates and began conducting the Duke marching band in celebration. The ensemble was more than happy to oblige, and provided the perfect soundtrack to a perfect night—one that saw senior Trae Harrison’s first career goal lift the Blue Devils (7-2, 2-2 in the ACC) over the defending national champions.
Over 1,900 fans looked on at Koskinen Stadium as then-No. 14 Duke registered a 2-0 shutout over then-No. 2 Maryland, proving that the Blue Devils can play with anyone in the country.
“It’s a huge win for us, beating the defending national champions,” Kerr said. “We played an excellent game tonight. In the second half, we were phenomenal. The defense and [goalkeeper James] Belshaw were terrific. We did a great job of hitting them with the counterattack, and we should have scored two or three more goals in the second half.”
Neither team mustered many legitimate scoring chances in the first half, as both sides struggled to link passes together. Perhaps the best chance for the Blue Devils came at about midway through the opening period on a Duke corner kick. The Terrapins (5-2-2, 2-2) failed to clear the ball properly, and a Duke shot from outside the box was deflected on goal. Maryland goalkeeper Zac MacMath never saw it, but the ball bounced off of his chest and was promptly cleared.
It was clear from the outset, however, that the second half would be a different story. Both squads began the period at a torrid pace, and both keepers were tested early on. It took only six minutes for the Blue Devils to finally break the ice and push ahead.
After a save by Belshaw, Duke launched a quick counterattack on the left side of the field. The ball was played up to sophomore Christopher Tweed-Kent, who momentarily lost possession, but fought to win it back. He then played a beautiful through ball to Finley, who was streaking down the left wing. MacMath came out to stop his breakaway, but ended up blasting the ball off the freshman’s shin into the top corner of the net.
“We were plugging the whole game,” Finley said. “Whether it was a great strike or a lucky bounce, I think we’ll take it…. It’s definitely a lot easier when the midfielders and backs are finding you in the front, especially playing as the lone man up top.”
In the second half especially, the Blue Devils played more cohesively than they have all season. The ball flowed seamlessly from the back to the front, where Duke was able to maintain possession long enough to generate genuine chances.
It all started with the defense, however, and following Finley’s goal Maryland lay siege to the Duke penalty area. En route to outshooting the Blue Devils 16-11, the Terrapins had three corner kicks and numerous long shots in a span of about 15 minutes, testing Belshaw and the Duke backs in the air. Time and time again, the Blue Devils were able to clear the danger.
“Maryland is a team that never stops. They keep coming at you,” Kerr said. “The big thing for us was to win those defensive headers and to win those second balls coming down, and I think we did a great job of that.”
Since Maryland was forced to commit so heavily to attack, the Blue Devils were able to generate several scoring chances. In the 74th minute, a header by senior Christian Ibeagha hit the crossbar. Not long after, sophomore Temi Molinar, who had a fantastic game off the bench, beat two Terrapins to earn a breakaway. MacMath foiled him, however, tipping the ball away and giving Duke a corner kick.
On the ensuing set piece, Cole Grossman lofted the ball toward the far post, where Harrison was waiting to head it home—finally notching his first career score.
“It’s been a long time coming…” Harrison said. “I’m not going to lie, I was feeling it. They actually left me open. I really knew they were in trouble then. I was really feeling that goal. I stuck with it the whole way through and got it in.”
Harrison’s goal broke Maryland’s morale, and Duke coasted the rest of the way.
“I’ve had a lot of chances, a lot of near-goals,” he said. “It really feels good to get one, especially against Maryland. I’m on a high right now.”
He’s not the only one.
In the most recent poll, Duke has leapt to No. 9 in the nation and is in position to earn a high seed in the NCAA tournament. With more virtuoso performances like this one, Finley and the rest of the Blue Devils could keep making sweet music deep into the postseason.
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