The Adam Luckhurst show, everyone, live on ACC Network.
On Luckhurst’s heels once again, the Blue Devils took down the Wolfpack on its home Dail Soccer Field Friday night. N.C. State took a first-half lead, but graduate striker Luckhurst shot Duke to a 2-1 victory in Raleigh with two goals in the second half.
First, though, the ball was in the Wolfpack’s court.
Taig Healy had a free kick, but only an optimist would call it an opportunity to score. Only an optimist, then, would be right — the junior midfielder went straight for the goal, arcing the ball over a wall of Duke defense to land it neatly in the top right corner. The Wolfpack (5-2-2, 1-2-0 in the ACC) took a 1-0 lead just under half an hour into the match.
Healy came to Raleigh with Marc Hubbard, the Wolfpack’s new head coach,. The duo relocated from New Hampshire to replace George Kiefer, who now heads up Grand Canyon’s program. Friday’s matchup marked the first meeting between Duke and N.C. State since the turnover in leadership.
The next few minutes were packed with rapid-fire attempts at N.C. State keeper Enzo Carvalho. The fifth-year proved his years in the net with save after diving save, keeping Duke’s many attempts at bay. On the other end of the field, Blue Devil goalkeeper Wessel Speel lacked aggression in the net in early minutes, but clocked a save in the first half. With Kamran Acito and Bull Jorgensen in front of him, however, Duke’s net stayed clean with the exception of Healy’s goal.
It took 15 minutes for the Blue Devils (4-2-2, 2-1-1 in the ACC) to find their footing. The slow start to the match, where the Wolfpack kept control of the ball, sparked into action when Kenan Hot took a long, bold shot at the home team’s goal. The graduate student missed over the top of the post, but his striking attempt lit a fire under Duke.
The fire didn’t spark a change in score, however, until the second period. Duke began the second half with the fire it was missing at the start of the first. The Wolfpack was proudly undefeated in games where it scored first, and Duke was determined to change that statistic.
Luckhurst’s first goal — his sixth of the season — fought its way into the goal through two pairs of Wolfpack legs and a goalkeeper. The South Carolina transfer took a chance on a tough pass from Drew Kerr — a pass that sent the junior rolling on the grass — and watched it hit the back of the net. The shot was a team effort at its finest: The ball touched four pairs of Duke cleats before Luckhurst put the play to rest.
There was plenty of time to play, and plenty for Duke to lose. One all.
In what seems to be a trend for Duke’s season, this match was riddled with cards: N.C. State drew five yellows, while the Blue Devils drew two. The penultimate card of the match, from the Wolfpack's Vusumzi Plamana, set Luckhurst up for the goal that clinched the game. Plamana tackled Kenan Hot from behind, and Luckhurst lined up to take the penalty. He didn’t attempt a fake-out, but shot with a purpose, sending the ball just inches past goalkeeper Logan Erb’s gloves into the far left of the net.
The Blue Devils rushed around their red-headed teammate to celebrate his seventh season goal.
Within one, the Wolfpack found its energy for the final minutes of the match. The home team, however, played too frantically to deliver on any of its chances. N.C. State narrowly missed the post up-close in the box, didn’t follow through on a free-kick goal attempt and shot a header right into Speel’s waiting arms. The Wolfpack did not fall short in the effort category but did in delivery.
Until there were only two minutes to play, and red-clad Dylan Mitchiner threw his body sideways in the air to send the ball like a bullet past Speel. The stands lining Dail Soccer Field erupted — and then quieted, as a referee raised the most feared flag in football, calling Mitchiner offsides.
With 42 seconds left to play, Acito fouled Hakim Karamoko in almost the same spot where Healy had scored the first goal of the match. Healy lined up for the free kick once again; Blue Devil faces were grim.
But it didn’t get anywhere near the net; Duke took the ball back to the other side of the field, and calmly ran the clock to zero.
The Blue Devils will welcome SMU 7 p.m. Friday night for an unprecedented conference matchup.
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Sophie Levenson is a Trinity junior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.