The Briefing: Hokies drop second straight ACC matchup on 1-0 loss against Duke
Blacksburg, Va- Friday was yet another Hokie night where missed opportunities write another chapter of Tech disappointment, as Tech fell to the 10th ranked Blue Devils.
While the Hokies were slow off the blocks, the individual quality of freshman Ian Marcano brought the Hokies to life, settling the play from either wing and through the middle.
From then on, the Hokies looked the much more threatening side, stringing passes from the back to front with ease, however, when the ball was pushed to the forward line, there was a disconnect, stopping the Hokies from putting up any meaningful first-half chances.
To start the second, the Blue Devils exuded their goalscoring quality on a Drew Kerr 52nd-minute goal off an errored Hokie header that sent Kerr in on goal. Kerr slammed his near-post effort past Tech tender Cooper Wenzel, to give Duke the night's lone goal.
From then on, there was a flurry of missed Tech chances that culminated in a frustrated Thompson Field, which would never see the Hokies break down a Duke door firmly guarded by a stingy Blue Devil defense that hasn't allowed an opposition goal since October 8th against Elon.
Mike Brizendine's side tallied six efforts on goal, one of which forced a cat-like save from Duke keeper Wessel Speel. Another required a goal-line clearance after a slow-rolling ball inched toward the net. Each heart-breaking effort amped the intensity of the night amidst a buzzing Virginia Tech, which was in preparation for Homecoming weekend.
Yet, despite six shots on goal, Brizendine and his squad left the pitch with their heads dropped as the Hokies continue to struggle in ACC play, as Tech sits without an in-conference win since the middle of September when the Hokies picked off Syracuse 2-0.
Additional Links:
The rundown: Hokies' Firm Defense Holds Georgia Tech in Hokies 21-6 win
Virginia Tech Football: 5 Big Takeaways From Virginia Tech's Win vs Georgia Tech
