DURHAM, N.C. - Cole Grossman knocked
in a short cross from the leftside to lift No. 12 Duke past UNC Wilmington,
2-1, in double overtime in men's soccer action on Tuesday at Koskinen Stadium.
The Blue Devils
improved to 5-1 on the season while the Seahawks, who played their third double
overtime match in their last four games, fell to 4-2-1 in their final
non-conference outing of the season.
After a scoreless
first half in which Duke controlled play from the opening minute, building an
11-0 shot advantage, it was the Seahawks who notched the first goal of the
evening. Junior Tyler Wheaton, who scored the game-winner against UNC
Greensboro last weekend, fired a shot from 30 yards out that caromed off a Blue
Devils defender and landed inside the left post at the 57:00 mark.
UNCW continued to
have chances in the second half, but Duke would draw even late in the 73rd
minute on Ryan Finely's third goal of the season. Finley collected a failed
clear attempt, took a touch to his right and beat UNCW junior goalkeeper Brock
Duckworth to the left corner from 18 yards out.
In the first overtime
and the clock winding down, junior Daniel Roberts found himself open in the
penalty area and managed to collect a loose ball, but his shot was blocked as
the Duke defense closed out his open space.
Grossman ended the
game 1:42 into the second overtime off a feed from Andrew Wenger.
Duke finished with a
23-9 advantage in shots, but just12-9 in the final three periods.
Duckworth, meanwhile,
stopped a career-high 10 shots, including three early in the first half that
prevented Duke from taking the lead.
Duke keeper James
Belshaw made two saves for Duke,
UNCW returns to
action on Sept. 26 when they host Drexel in the Colonial Athletic Association
opener for both teams.