Eagles await in ACC semis

The Blue Devils have not lost since Oct. 22, and Friday night they will get a chance to avenge that loss. That defeat came in Chestnut Hill, Mass. against Boston College, and Duke will face the Eagles again in the ACC semifinals at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

The No. 24 Blue Devils (10-6-3, 4-3-1 in the ACC) are ranked for the first time since mid-October, and will look to ride the momentum from their shootout victory over Clemson in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. Duke has lost all six of its games by one goal and outshot its opponents in all of those games.

Boston College (13-5-0, 4-4-0) brings a No. 13 national ranking into the game after taking down Maryland 2-1 in the quarterfinals. ACC offensive player of the year Andrew Wenger will have to be on top of his game against the Eagles’ stout defense. Boston College’s 1.15 goals against average ranks third in the conference, and goalkeeper Justin Luthy ranks third in save percentage. Wenger had played on the back line for the last two games in the absence of Sebastien Ibeagha, whose second red card of the season earned him a two-game suspension.

Ibeagha will return for the semifinal, giving the Duke defense a critical boost against Charlie Rugg and Kyle Bekker, who pace the Eagle attack. The pair of juniors has combined for 15 goals and 11 assists. Diego Medina-Mendez has contributed seven assists of his own as one of the conference’s best freshmen.

The Blue Devils have faced Boston College in the ACC tournament each of the last two years, and the Eagles have won both of those meetings by 1-0 scores.