CARY, N.C. – Duke men’s soccer (1-1-1) fell to Grand Canyon (2-0-0), 3-2 on Friday evening at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The loss is the first for the Blue Devils in 2024. The Lopes opened the scoring with two first-half goals before Duke stormed back late to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Graduate Colton Pleasants tallied his first goal in a Blue Devils uniform, taking the penalty kick in the 56th minute and beating the Grand Canyon keeper to the bottom right corner of the net. Senior Ruben Mesalles cut the Lopes lead to one goal late in the contest, bending his corner kick into the back of the net.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After 25 minutes of back-and-forth attacking by both sides, Grand Canyon opened the scoring as Bright Nutormutsi drove through the middle of the pitch and slotted home a right-footed shot, 1-0.
- Nutormutsi doubled the Grand Canyon lead just before the half, tallying his second goal of the night in the 43rd minute, 2-0.
- The Blue Devils led the shot totals after the first 45 minutes of play, 7-4, and outshot the Lopes 18-5 in the match.
- Duke opened the second half spending nearly the entire first 10 minutes in the Lopes half, before Duke was awarded a penalty kick in the 56th minute. Graduate transfer Colton Pleasants netted his first Blue Devils goal and first for the squad, beating the Grand Canyon keeper to the bottom right corner, 2-1.
- An own goal in the 64th minute…
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