Completed Event: Men's Soccer at #14 Akron on November 30, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 2
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Final
Men's Soccer
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at #14 Akron
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Duke Heads West for Matchup with No. 9 UCLA
9/1/2016 8:22:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Game 4
Duke (1-0-1) at No. 9 UCLA (1-0-1)
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016 | 8 p.m. (ET)
Pac-12 Network (Christian Miles & Cobi Jones)
Setting the Scene
- Duke heads west to take on No. 9 UCLA with a 1-0-1 overall record. The Bruins are the first ranked foe for the Blue Devils this season.
- The Blue Devils captured the John Rennie Nike Invitational with a 1-0-1 record thanks to a +4 goal differential.
- UCLA has a matching 1-0-1 record and is ranked ninth in the most recent NSCAA poll. The Bruins were picked to win the Pac-12. They received four first-place votes and a total of 24 points.
Duke by the Numbers
7 – Different countries represented on the 2016 Duke roster
4 – Languages spoken by goalkeeper Robert Moewes - German, English, French and Italian
8 – Of Duke's 17 points from the opening weekend scored by freshmen
25 – Overall shot margin in Duke's two games in the John Rennie Nike Invitational, outshooting its opponents 41-16
3 – Freshmen in Duke's starting lineup on opening weekend, Veerakone, Moser and Uche
87.5 – Average number of minutes played per game by the trio of freshmen starters
11 – Newcomers to the program – nine freshmen and a pair of graduate student transfers
5 – Players in the ACC who have two assists after the opening weekend, two of which are Duke junior Carter Manley and freshman Max Moser
6 – Ranked opponents the Blue Devils are scheduled to face, including three straight vs. UCLA, Boston College and Wake Forest
19 – Appearances for the United Stats Men's National Team between the two head coaches, 16 caps for John Kerr and three for Jorge Salcedo
12 – Duke men's soccer games broadcast by the ACC Network Extra in 2016
Scouting the Bruins
- UCLA is unbeaten with a 1-0-1 record after tying No. 4 Maryland 1-1 at the StubHub Center in the season opener. The Bruins scored first with a strike from Jason Romero. Goalkeeper Juan Cervantes recorded five saves in the 110 minutes.
- Two days later against Cal State Fullerton, the Bruins needed a penalty kick in the 95th minute to score their first win of the season, 1-0, over the Titans.
- Five UCLA players were voted to the 11-man preseason all-conference team. Forwards Seyi Adekoya and Abu Danladi were joined by midfielders Jose Hernandez and Jackson Yueill and defender Michael Amick.
- Yueill is a top returner for the Bruins on offense, registering 20 points in his rookie season to earn All-Pac-12 first team honors. He provided the assist in UCLA's goal against the Terrapins last week.
- Overall, UCLA returns seven starters from the 2015 squad that went 11-9-1 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins' recruiting class was ranked fifth nationally.
Last Time Out
- The Blue Devils tied San Diego 1-1, scoring the tying goal with 16 seconds left in regulation. Duke outshot the Torerors 22-6 for the game.
- The Blue Devils followed that with a 5-1 win over UNC Asheville to claim the John Rennie Nike Invitational title.
- Duke outshot its two opponents by a combined 41-16 total for the weekend. Five different Blue Devils scored goals and four different players provided assists.
- Duke goalkeeper Robert Moewes made seven saves for the weekend to earn All-Tournament Team recognition.
Rookies Leave Their Mark
- Three rookies started both games for the Blue Devils this past weekend and five overall saw quality minutes.
- Rookie center midfielder Suniel Veerakone netted two goals in the 5-1 win over UNC Asheville and played a total of 168 minutes to earn the John Rennie Nike Invitational Most Valuable Player Award.
- Colby Agu scored his first goal to give Duke the 1-0 lead over the Bulldogs, while defender Max Moser provided an assist in both games. He is one of five players in the ACC to register two assists on the opening weekend.
UCLA Beginning of Tough Three-Game Stretch
- Ninth-ranked UCLA is the beginning of a tough three-game stretch of three straight ranked opponents.
- Following the Bruins, Duke must make the trek to the East Coast to take on No. 11 Boston College. The Blue Devils final return home after two weeks gone to host No. 21 Wake Forest.
- Duke also closes with grueling schedule, squaring off against ranked North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia teams in a span of 14 days.
Top Drawer Soccer Honors Blue Devils
- Graduate student Robert Moewes and freshman Suniel Veerakone recently were selected to the Preseason Best XI.
- Moewes was voted as the first team goalkeeper, while Veerakone was one of four midfielders on the Freshman squad.
- Duke is one of nine schools and three in the ACC to have multiple players named to one of the four teams.
- Moewes and senior Brody Huitema were ranked among the top 20 players in the ACC by Top Drawer Soccer. Moewes came in at No. 2 and Huitema 20th.
Kerr and Salcedo Square Off On Sidelines
- Duke's matchup with the Bruins features two of the early members of Major League Soccer in Duke head coach John Kerr and UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo.
- Salcedo was the 24th pick by LA Galaxy in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft, while Kerr was taken 83rd by the Dallas Burn.
- Kerr played 12 games with Dallas before being sent to New England for the remainder of the 1996 season. In the one time Kerr and Salcedo met that year, Kerr scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Galaxy.
Up Next
- The Blue Devils stay on the road to kick off ACC play next Saturday evening at Boston College. Duke and the Eagles kick off at 6 p.m.
- Duke returns home Sept. 16 to host No. 21 Wake Forest at 7 p.m., on ACC Network Extra.
Players Mentioned
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