Duke finished off its nonconference season with a decisive 6-0 victory over Presbyterian Wednesday at Koskinen Stadium behind two goals from freshman defender Andrew Wenger. The No. 16 Blue Devils (11-4-0) struck early and often as the offense scored multiple goals for the fourth consecutive game. Led by Wenger in the back, the defense posted its third shutout in four games, holding Presbyterian to just four total shots.
The matchup was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was pushed back to Wednesday night because of rain. Duke, however, showed no signs of the delay affecting its play. Wenger opened the scoring in the sixth minute after Cole Grossman struck a corner kick that bounced across the box to an open Wenger, who calmly put it away.
“The ball came back post and I just tried to get it back and it snuck in,” Wenger said.
Just 12 minutes later Grossman made it 2-0 off a cross from Christopher Tweed-Kent. Duke continued to clog the midfield and control the game as the Blue Devils outworked and outplayed the Blue Hose.
Freshman Ryan Finley put the game far out of reach just 21 minutes into the first half when he took the ball from a Presbyterian defender and beat the keeper to make it 3-0. Things only got worse for the Blue Hose (2-10-2) after that.
Duke made numerous substitutions as the scoreline allowed many players who rarely get playing time to get significant minutes in the game. Head coach John Kerr played four different goalies and every player on his bench.
“We wanted to give some of the guys that don’t get to play a lot a chance to play and it worked out brilliantly that everyone on the squad had a chance to play tonight,” Kerr said. “The starters got to pay back the hard work that the non-starters go through every day in practice. It was a chance to give them an opportunity and I thought all of them played really well tonight and deserved the opportunity.”
They certainly did. Wenger added his second goal six minutes into the second half off a Ryan Brown corner kick. And 17 minutes later, sophmore Kwasi Ayisi tallied his first goal of the season off a pass from sophmore Temi Molinar.
Duke pressed forward and attacked as the substitutes continued the high level of play. Sophomore Jan Trnka-Amrhein notched the sixth and final Duke goal, the first of his career, with just two minutes to go to cap the victory.
The win makes it four in a row for the Blue Devils after a come-from-behind victory versus Clemson last week. Duke returns to action Friday in a big home matchup against Virginia Tech which has major implications for the ACC standings and tournament seeding.
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