Striker showdown on tap for men's soccer vs. Duke

Standing on the Terrapins men's soccer team's practice field yesterday afternoon, Casey Townsend made no effort to hide his feelings for ACC rival Duke.

"We don't like them, and they don't like us," the senior forward said. "You definitely mark them on your calendar every year."

With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, that date has finally arrived. But the timing of tonight's showdown at Ludwig Field may not be such a good thing given the Blue Devils' recent performance.

Duke currently holds the top spot in the ACC alongside No. 2 North Carolina, and is riding a seven-game unbeaten streak — its best run since 2006. After dropping four of their first five games this season, the Blue Devils are outscoring their opponents, 29-17.

Much of that turnaround can be attributed to the play of junior forward Andrew Wenger. The reigning College Soccer News National Player of the Week has registered at least a point in each game during Duke's recent run.

After being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year last year as a center back, Wenger has emerged as a favorite for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the award given annually to college soccer's top male and female players.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised that Wenger's having such a good season up front," said Matt Martin, a regional scout for the MLS's Sporting Kansas City. "But his numbers are pretty gaudy."

Wenger has had a hand in 22 of Duke's 29 goals this season, and has notched 12 goals and seven assists over the past four weeks. He currently leads Division I in goals (15) and points (37).

But even with those "gaudy" statistics, the Terps understand that a win over Duke tonight will require more than just stopping one player.

"We're going to try not to focus as much on one guy," said Townsend, who's tallied 12 goals this season and is garnering consideration for the Hermann Trophy as well. "They have a ton of other guys on the field."

According to Martin, Duke has at least five MLS prospects on its roster. And although the Blue Devils are averaging nearly two and a half goals per game this season, their true key to success isn't their ability to find the back of the net. It's those prospects' ability to find the open man.

Duke leads the ACC in assists with 29 this season. That number helped the Blue Devils crack the top 25 of the NSCAA Coaches Poll this week for the first time since August.

"You know, Wenger's capable of doing some great individual things, but he also has good providers on the field," coach Sasho Cirovski said. "We have to do a good job playing good all-around defense and preventing those passes that set him up."

But 90 minutes of solid defensive play often requires fresh legs. And given their schedule this season, those could be tough to come by.

The Terps are the only ACC team that hasn't missed a mid-week game this year. While Cirovski's squad played a scrappy Adelphi team on Tuesday, Duke enters tonight's matchup with a full week's rest.

Yet rest is rarely a factor when Duke comes to town. After all, the Terps have had this game circled on their calendars all season.

"It's just one of those games you've got to get up for," Townsend said. "You come to play these kinds of games."

letourneau@umdbk.com