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Cal Knocks Out No. 2 Duke, Advances To ACC Semifinals

November 10, 2024
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DURHAM, N.C. – The California men's soccer team continued its late-season surge and success in the state of North Carolina on Sunday by upsetting second-ranked Duke 2-0 at Koskinen Stadium. The Golden Bears got two first-half goals – a Duke own goal and an Arik Duncan strike – and five saves from Marco Brougher in the victory.
 
Cal, which improved its record to 8-7-2, next plays seventh-ranked Clemson in the ACC semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m. PT in Cary, North Carolina.
 
At the 1:58 mark, Cal forward Nonso Adimabua earned a free kick when he was fouled in midfield trying to corral Brougher's long goal kick. Forward Alfredo Ortiz served the free kick into the Duke box, Cal defender Kevin Carmichael headed the ball across the face of the goal and Duke midfielder Kenan Hot – trying to clear the ball while defending Cal's Wyatt Meyer – headed the ball into his own net.
 
The Bears continued to attack and, at 16:37, midfielder Kieran Bracken Serra sent a perfect ball to the top of the six-yard box, and the onrushing Duncan volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
 
Cal took its 2-0 lead into the break.
 
In the second half, the Bears weathered a storm of Duke chances, as the Blue Devils outshot Cal 10-2 in the final 45 minutes and 19-5 for the game. Brougher made three of his saves in the second half.
 
Brougher and Meyer came up big in the 76th minute, when Duke forward Ulfur Bjornsson had a chance to score on a breakaway. Meyer – the 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year – recovered and bothered the Blue Devil enough to affect his shot, allowing Brougher to make an easy save. At 81:34, Brougher saved a deflected shot by Sol Arbib in what was Duke's last shot on goal in the game.


 
Cal has now won three straight after losing two of its previous three games. The game before that stretch was a 1-0 upset victory at then-No. 1 Pitt. The common denominator during the win streak and in the victory over the Panthers is that all four results came against nationally ranked ACC opponents – No. 1 Pitt, No. 2 Duke, No. 14 North Carolina and No. 22 Stanford – on the road, where Cal is 5-4-0. The Bears are 3-3-2 at home.
 
"These just guys step across the line and become a different beast on the road," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "We talked about being on the front foot from the start, and we were able to get after them early. Goals change games. They changed this one, and we were also able to keep ball out of the back of our net. Credit to our guys up front, but just as much credit goes to Kevin Carmichael, Marco Brougher, Wyatt Meyer, Santiago Hopkins and all the guys defending. And we had a great team effort from the bench.
 
"This is the team that we knew we could be. We wish we could take some of those early games back but can only control what's in front of us. The players have just bought in and believe we can play with anyone."
 
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For more coverage of the Cal men's soccer team, please follow the Bears on X (@CalMSoc), Instagram (@CalMSoc) and Facebook (/CalMSoc).

Next Game:

vs. Semifinal: Vs. Clemson

11/14/2024 | 5:00 PM

Cal Knocks Out No. 2 Duke, Advances To ACC Semifinals

1,290 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 6 hrs ago by HairOfTheBear
Cal88
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Go Bears!
ncbears
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It was a pretty stressful second half - especially a 10 minute period where Duke just kept knocking on the door. I think I heard the announcers say that Duke's 19 shots were the most Cal had faced this year. Just a ton of praise to the Cal defense. Duke had the highest scoring average in the country - although it apparently was helped by two massive outputs of 10 and 14 goals. But, the announcers said, even taking away those two anomalies, Duke was, I think, the 5th highest scoring team in the country.
Stopping that Duke breakaway was huge - because when it started, it looked for all the world that it was going to be a goal, but the Cal defender never gave up and cut off the Duke player's angle forcing the shot right into Brougher. (If the Duke player had just lifted the ball...)
There were more nerves because Wake Forest was down 2-0 with 13 minutes to go and tied their game and won on penalties - and I'm sure the Cal staff was aware. And I was aware!
Bowlesman80
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Awesome.
Well done, soccer Bears.
"Just win, baby."
HairOfTheBear
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diving a little deeper, this now means that in recent weeks the Bears have beaten #1 Pitt at Pitt.
#22 Furd at Ford
In the first round of ACC beat #14 N Carolina on the road obviously
and now in second round beating #2 Duke

Very impressive road wins and now they have winning record.

Next up- #7 Clemson, of course on the road lol
ncbears
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HairOfTheBear said:

diving a little deeper, this now means that in recent weeks the Bears have beaten #1 Pitt at Pitt.
#22 Furd at Ford
In the first round of ACC beat #14 N Carolina on the road obviously
and now in second round beating #2 Duke

Very impressive road wins and now they have winning record.

Next up- #7 Clemson, of course on the road lol
Clemson also is "on the road" as the match is at the Cary soccer facility - so no one's home pitch!
juarezbear
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ncbears said:

HairOfTheBear said:

diving a little deeper, this now means that in recent weeks the Bears have beaten #1 Pitt at Pitt.
#22 Furd at Ford
In the first round of ACC beat #14 N Carolina on the road obviously
and now in second round beating #2 Duke

Very impressive road wins and now they have winning record.

Next up- #7 Clemson, of course on the road lol
Clemson also is "on the road" as the match is at the Cary soccer facility - so no one's home pitch!Te
Technically neutral, but much closer to Clemson than to Cal. I'm sure they'll have a lot more fans there than we will. Regardless, this run has been amazing and I hope clinches a spot in the NCAA's. I'm sure a victory of Clemson would end any concern so why not keep it going? Bears are playing great right now so let's hope the mojo continues.
CalWSportsFan
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Go Bears! Both soccer teams doing well this season.
HairOfTheBear
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I am choosing to reject the normal conventions of road vs home and inserting my own definition lol. If we have to travel nearly 3000 miles over a week and half, I'm calling it a road game. Just a little nod to our Golden Bears that are on a spirited run through the almighty ACC Soccer gauntlet. Clemson is another big ask tho.

Go Bears!
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