Duke had the lead at halftime and still walked away empty-handed in Raleigh.
The Blue Devils struck first Saturday night, but NC State answered after the break and rolled to a 3-1 win in the ACC match. Duke fell to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play after letting a 1-0 advantage slip away.
Jack Ottley put Duke in front in the 27th minute, finishing off an assist from Ulfur Bjornsson. Ottley collected the ball on the wing, drove into the 18-yard box through contact and sent a right-footed shot into the far corner. It was his second goal of the freshman season, pushing him to eight points, while Bjornsson picked up his team-leading ninth point on the setup.
Duke had opened the match with a couple of early looks. Logan Moniz missed just wide on the Blue Devils’ first shot, then forced a save from close range on another chance. The pressure kept building, and Ottley’s finish gave Duke a deserved edge.
The defense held up through the first 45 minutes despite NC State piling on six corner kicks. The Wolfpack managed only one shot on goal before halftime, and Nathan Gaviser handled it to preserve the lead.
That control didn’t last long after the restart. NC State pulled level quickly with a tap-in at the back post after a loose ball spilled free.
Gaviser kept Duke even in the 66th minute with a parry on a shot from 12 yards out, but the Wolfpack finally broke through in transition 10 minutes later. They added a third goal with just under nine minutes to go to close it out.
Duke heads back home after the two-match road trip and hosts Queens on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The Blue Devils and Royals, who are 1-4, will kick off at 7 p.m. at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium. The match will stream live on ACC Network Extra.
In Other News...
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Former Duke Star Mark Williams Hit With Another Tough NBA Setback
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Duke Is Hanging Around At Illinois For One Very Revealing Reason
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Nate Sheppard has been the centerpiece of that response, giving Duke a much-needed spark as both a runner and a receiver while the Blue Devils leaned on him to steady the offense. Both teams also made their share of fourth-down gambles, underscoring how little separation there has been, and Duke heads into the second half still with a chance to turn an uneven opening 30 minutes into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]