No. 2 Duke hosts California for ACC quarterfinal tilt

On By Littum

DURHAM, NC – No. 2 Duke men’s soccer (11-2-4) welcomes California (7-7-2) to Koskinen Stadium on Sunday night for the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 18.00 and will be broadcast live on ACCN.

Parking will be located in the Science Drive Garage, with available parking located in the Whitford Lot.

MATCHUP NOTES

  • Duke and California meet for the first time in program history Sunday night at Koskinen Stadium.

BY THE NUMBERS
250 – Head coach John Kerr picked up his 250th career win Tuesday night against Longwood.
14 – Goals scored against Averett at Koskinen Stadium tied a program record for most goals scored in a single contest.
11 – Duke has won more than 10 contests in 11 of the 17 completed seasons under Kerr.
7 – Seven different Blue Devils recorded their first career goals in 2024, including five against Averett.
3 – Educated Adam Luckhurst tallied three goals against Averett, who scored his first career hat trick in his first game at Koskinen Stadium.

FIRST PIPE

  • Duke punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday night, defeating Virginia Tech 2-0 in the first round at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils improved to 11-10-1 in the tournament’s first round and 6-7-2 as the No. 3 seed.

  • Sophomore Ulfur Bjørnsson scored his 13th goal of the season in Duke’s 2-0 win over the Hokies on Wednesday. Bjørnsson now has one goal from the top 10 in a single season. If Bjørnsson continues his trajectory, he could be within reach of the single-season goal record set by Pato Gutierrez (1971), Ali Curtis (1999), Ryan Finley (2010), and Andrew Wenger (2011) with 17.

  • Duke men’s soccer has been one of the hottest teams in the second half of this season, and hasn’t let any excitement hold them back. In the last 45 minutes of play, Duke has outscored its opponents 42-10. The Blue Devils lead the nation with 57 total goals scored, averaging 3.35 goals per game this season.

FAMILY CONNECTION

  • Junior Drew Kerr continues to etch the Kerr name into the record books, playing alongside his brother, Cameron Kerr, and under his father, John Kerr. Drew has secured points in his last four contests, making 20 on the year. His 10 assists move him within striking distance of tying or passing his father for a spot on the single-season assists top 10 list for Duke with 14. Kerr currently sits first in the ACC with 10 assists and fifth in the nation.

  • Joining the Kerrs on the field Sunday is a special connection, as a candidate Adam Luckhurst will take the field with the Blue Devils, while his brother Michael is a sophomore on the Golden Bears roster. Michael was also a kicker on the football team for Cal during his freshman campaign.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men’s soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching “https://goduke.com/news/2024/11/9/DukeMSOC”.

Duke Centennial

In 2024, Duke will celebrate its centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for another century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

#GoDuke