Own-goal by Virginia propels Duke men's soccer to first conference victory in Charlottesville

The Cavaliers just can’t seem to get the better of the Blue Devils. 

In what has become something of a tradition over the last five years, Virginia dropped points to Duke. In a game characterized by flaring tempers and mountains of fouls, the Blue Devils managed to scrape out a 1-0 win in Charlottesville and grab an ever-important first conference victory.

Like a microcosm of the game itself, the deciding tally came in the form of an own goal. In the early minutes of the second half, junior midfielder Drew Kerr slipped an incisive pass down the right sideline aimed at graduate forward Adam Luckhurst. Luckhurst fired a cross into the six-yard box, begging a forward to get on the end of it. But it was Cavaliers D-man Nick Dang who drove it into his own net, falling over after jostling with another player. It was sloppy, but emblematic of the momentum that the Blue Devils had accumulated in the first half. Duke (3-1-1, 1-0 in the ACC) was given its due.

This sloppiness was the norm, as the referee kept busy from the opening whistle. The teams made a quick habit of stomping on feet, and the stoppages were plentiful. At game’s end, there were a whopping 29 fouls between the two sides — the bulk of them coming from Duke — as well as six cautions. But the no-calls were the story in Charlottesville, as the referee was not afraid to let the match continue. Perhaps the most glaring non-whistle came in after an errant pass from the Virginia midfield that fell fortuitously to sophomore forward Ulfur Bjornsson in a prime scoring position. He attempted to cut back on a sliding center half, whose arm brushed the ball sideways. The Blue Devils’ fervent appeals for a handball fell on deaf ears, and play continued.

This no-call lit a fire in the Blue Devils, who went on to dominate possession for the rest of the first half. Momentum was unquestionably in their favor until an awkward fall forced Bjornsson out of the game. However, even without its most prolific attacking threat, Duke kept the ball on the Hoos’ half of the field. The visiting team continued to pile on the pressure, reaching a fever pitch as the first half dwindled. An outswinging cross from the right side fell to Luckhurst, who slotted it neatly over the keeper’s outstretched arm. His celebrations were short-lived, though; Luckhurst had controlled the ball with his hand, and the goal was wiped away.

The teams hit the locker rooms knotted at zero, but the match was firmly in Duke’s hands. It registered five shots to the Cavaliers' none, and had a lion’s share of the possession. The Blue Devils later cashed in on this momentum with the own-goal, prompting a drastic shift in gameplan.

Satisfied with its advantage, Duke sat deep from the 50th minute on and invited attacks from Virginia (2-2-1, 0-1 in the ACC). Although they were able to weather these threats, there was no shortage of close calls. Graduate keeper Wessel Speel claimed many a ball in the last 30 minutes, mere inches separating him and a goal-hungry forward. The one goal difference, however, proved to be enough.

Even with pressure mounting, the Blue Devils only conceded two shots in the second half. For the Cavaliers, it was the fewest number of shots registered in a single game since 2016, an offensive performance they’ll be quick to forget.