Hokies Fall To No. 10 Duke In Crushing 1-0 Loss

Davis Woody

Staff Writer

October 25, 2024

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech hosted No. 10 Duke on Friday night Thompson Field. The Hokies (7-5-2, 1-5-1 ACC) held their own against the Blue Devils (8-2-4, 3-1-3), but ultimately fell short, 1-0. 

This game featured a newly-unranked Tech team displaying the ability to play up to its competition while being underdogs. Both teams had their fair share of chances, with most of the game consisting of back-and-forth possessions ending with the occasional shot for either side.

Duke came knocking at Tech’s door with a handful of early attacking opportunities. It didn’t help that Tech struggled to make the right passes and maintain possession of the ball. The Hokies' first real chance at a goal was foiled by a controversial offside call that stopped what would have been a one-on-one with the keeper. Duke was able to complete multiple series of smart passes that led to shots on goal, while Tech looked more focused on maintaining possession until an attacking option opened up. 

It was a complete stalemate in the first half with the determining factor being which team could make fewer mistakes. The Hokies surprisingly made the matchup very competitive, and the momentum favored neither side, providing hope that someone would break open the scoring in the second half. 

Almost immediately, Tech nearly hit on that promise by opening up the half with a chance of its own that started with a beautiful send from Olafur Floki Stephensen and finished with a shot by Oliver Roche, but it was saved by Duke goalkeeper Wessel Speel. 

Despite Tech seeming to nudge the momentum, Duke flipped the switch with an incredibly long through ball from Kamran Acito that was placed perfectly into the stride of Drew Kerr, who belted it into the top left corner of the net to give Duke the lead. It was an unbelievable sequence that can be attributed to Tech’s misfortune rather than Duke’s execution. 

“We had one mental breakdown and they scored a goal,” Tech head coach Mike Brizendine said after the game. “It’s very disappointing. I’m very disappointed right now.”

However, the goal did not discourage The Hokies, and they kept their composure. Only minutes later, Tech’s leading goalscorer on the season, Ethan Hackenberg, checked in and instantly had a shot fall inches short of a goal, saved only by the hustle of Speel. 

That wasn’t it for Tech either, as yet another shot, this time from CJ Coppola, came inches away from evening up the score, but it was thwarted by a relentless team defensive effort from Duke. 

“I wish they were goals,” Brizendine said. “The keeper made a great save on Hackenberg, and that other one that just bounced around the line. Yeah, it’s tough.”

Even though those didn't go in, Tech was certainly creating more attacking opportunities than Duke. But opportunities aren’t the same as goals. 

The game continued with more of the same back-and-forth play until the final whistle blew. Ultimately, the Hokies' empty opportunities led to a scoreless outing and yet another loss to an ACC opponent. 

“First half, we weren’t that great, but we were fine,” Brizendine said. “I mean, they didn’t have much either. Second half, we were much better. But again, it’s hard to look past the loss once I’m so close. If we got a result, that makes such a big difference for us.”

A bright spot that shined through the otherwise forgettable performance from Tech was midfielder Ian Marcano, who put on a performance that showed why he's ranked as a Top 100 freshman in the country. He displayed crucial passing, impressive footwork, and wreaked havoc defensively with constant awareness, pressure, and tackles. 

“He’s a good little player, you know,” Brizendine remarked. “He’s really developed and I’m really happy with him.”

The Hokies will head into the final week before the postseason with a home game against Davidson on Tuesday (6 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra), as they hope to get back on track and finish the season strong.