No. 15 Duke 2, Elon 1
DURHAM, N.C. - Although Elon held a decided advantage in the shot tally, it was the No. 15 Duke Blue Devils who earned the 2-1 victory in non-conference men's soccer action at Koskinen Stadium on Tuesday night. The Phoenix outshot the Blue Devils, 18-11, in the contest, but struggled to finish its chances. Elon dropped to 3-4-1 on the season while Duke improved to 6-2-0.
"I thought the team gave a valiant effort and performed well throughout the game," Elon head coach Darren Powell said. "That said, Duke's play was quality tonight and they made the most of their chances early in each half. We have to learn from games like this and improve heading into conference play this weekend."
The Blue Devils scored early goals in each half, striking in the sixth minute of action to take the quick lead. Elon keeper Clint Irwin stopped a long shot by the Devils, but was unable to corral the ball. Duke's Ryan Ruffing was there to clean it up, scoring on the rebound to put Duke up 1-0 at 5:40.
Elon spent much of the first half in its attacking third, earning numerous solid chances on goal. Eight minutes into the game, Brad Franks sent a wide pass to Daniel Street who touched the ball inside to Justin Wyatt. Wyatt's shot went just wide of the post.
Shortly after, Chris Thomas slid a ball from the right side to a streaking Erfan Imeni. Imeni drilled a shot from the top of the box, but Blue Devil goalie James Belshaw was there to make the stop.
Elon held an 8-4 shot advantage at the break, but Duke remained on top with a one-goal lead.
Duke cushioned its lead just minutes into the second half. Daniel Tweed-Kent sent a long cross from the right side to the far post. Duke's Ryan Finley tucked the score into corner of the net, giving the Devils a 2-0 advantage at 49:21.
Elon continued to pressure the Blue Devils' back line, forcing Belshaw to make six saves in the effort. In the 53rd minute, Imeni curled a shot from 18 yards out that went just wide of the net. The senior had another opportunity a few minutes later, taking a through ball from Wyatt deep into the box. Imeni's short shot was blocked by Belshaw to preserve Duke's lead.
Despite the many opportunities, it wasn't until the final seconds of the game that the Phoenix was able to get on the board. Imeni headed a ball to the right side of the box where senior Steven Kinney volleyed a perfect ball just over the hands of Belshaw into the top of the net with two seconds remaining in the contest. The goal was Kinney's second of the season and Imeni was credited with his team-leading fifth assist of the year.
Elon will get into the heart of Southern Conference play when it hosts Appalachian State on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. at Rudd Field. Elon's original conference opener against Georgia Southern was halted last Saturday when rain made the field unplayable.
Clemson 6, Georgia Southern 0
CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson, fresh off its upset win over No. 8 Virginia, defeated Georgia Southern 6-0 in Tuesday's non-conference match. The Eagles were unable to find the magic from a year ago when they upset the Tigers 2-1.
Georgia Southern kept the match close in the first half, allowing only one goal. Austin Savage notched his first goal of the season in the 11th minute to give Clemson the early lead.
Danny Hall responded for the Eagles with a shot on goal in the 15th minute.
The Eagles went on the attack right before the end of the first half and recorded four shots in a ten minute period. Jon Cox had his shot blocked in the 36th minute. Aleksandar Tomic put a shot on target, forcing Joseph Bendik to make a save. Joe Madigan took two shot but missed wide of the net on both.
Clemson added its second goal after a corner kick by Hall. Nathan Thornton scored the first of his two goals in the 50th minute. Thornton added his second in the 54th minute off a pass from Savage.
The Tigers would go on to score five goals in the second half. Savage and Thornton led the way with two goals each.
The Eagles return home to face Davidson Saturday at 1 p.m. The match will be the conference opener after last weekend's match with Elon was halted due to unplayable conditions. The men's and women's soccer teams will host the Third Annual Little Eagles Soccer Clinic following the conclusion of Saturday's match.