Nov. 18, 2010
Final Stats
DURHAM, N.C.- The Coastal Carolina men's soccer team dropped a tough match to Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by a final of 2-1.
The loss ends the Chanticleers season with a 12-8-2 record while Duke improves to 10-5-4 and will play South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite being out shot 13 to two, it was the Big South champion Chanticleers that found themselves on top of Duke by a 1-0 score after a physical first half of play. Costal Carolina's goal came at the 22:53 mark of the opening stanza after Kristoffer Sandtroen fired a cross into the box from the far side of the field toward Ross Kelly. Kelly elevated above the defense and headed the ball to toward the far post and into the back of the net for the first score of the night. The goal was Kelly's fourth of the season and first in postseason play.
Although Duke fired 13 times in the first half, only two were on goal. Duke's best opportunity to score came with 16:19 to play in the half after Coastal committed a foul just outside the 17 yard box. Duke's Cole Grossman lined up and fired a direct kick toward the far post where it was met by the outstretched arms of the Chants Scott Angevine to preserve the 1-0 Chanticleer lead heading into the locker room.
The Blue Devils made the appropriate adjustment at halftime and tightened down on the defensive end of the field in the second half as Coastal was held without a shot in the period.
Offensively, Duke maintained the majority of the possession time during the second half as the Blue Devils were able to fire off nine shots in the period with four being on goal.
Duke finally netted the equalizer with 13:51 remaining in the match as Grossman connected on a direct kick from the top of the box. Grossman's kick sailed just over the wall of Coastal defenders before it bent just inside the high near post and into the net to draw the game even a one apiece.
Coastal continued to hold strong defensively until Grossman turned in his second goal of the game in the 82nd minute to give Duke its first lead of the night. Grossman's goal came by way of a breakaway that resulted in a one-on-one with Coastal's Angevine. The goal would prove to be enough as Coastal was unable to net an equalizer in the final eight minutes of play.
Angevine faced 22 shots from the Blue Devils during his 90 minutes between the pipes for the Chants as he came away with the only four saves on the night.
The Chants were led by Kelly's goal and a shot each by Cyprian Hedrick and Robby Joe Daniels.
"I am very proud of the way the guys played tonight," said head coach Shaun Docking. "I feel like we could have stolen a victory, but in the end we just didn't have enough in us and the better team won tonight. I wish Duke the best of luck in the remainder of the tournament.
"Scott [Angevine] had a great game tonight; he has been terrific for us all year because he is a big time goal keeper. Along with Alex Russell and Ross Kelly, on the backline, the three of them have been a great defensive king-pin for us in the back all season and they were able to showcase that tonight."
