Just two weeks ago, the men of Duke soccer were ranked seventeenth. A win over Michigan and they jumped to seventh last week. After posting a come-from-behind win on the road against Louisville, who was number ten at the time, the Blue Devils have moved to fifth in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
The 4-0 Blue Devils are joined in the top five by two other ACC members. Clemson sits atop the poll as it has all through the young season, while Wake Forest is directly behind tied with Stanford at number two. Duke will try to make it five straight wins when they take on rival North Carolina at Koskinen Stadium Friday night. On Tuesday, the Tar Heels broke a two-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over East Tennessee State.
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Another Blue Devil picks up recognition
Last week, it was defender Antino Lopez being named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week. This time, it’s forward Shakur Mohammed. The sophomore from Ghana by way of Millbrook Prep School had the game-winning goal late in the contest with Louisville and assisted on the equalizer earlier in the second half. He now has a team-leading eight points. Mohammed was also named as the ACC’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
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Women stay put
Despite a loss to rival and second-ranked North Carolina last week, Duke’s women have remained third in the United Soccer Coaches poll. It is quite possible they are being given credit for a recent schedule that included three straight games against top-ten opponents-two of which were in the top five (UCLA and North Carolina). UCLA is number one for the second week in a row and is followed by the Tar Heels. The 5-2 women open ACC play Friday at Syracuse in a game carried by ACC Network Extra.