DURHAM, N.C. – FDU men's soccer's 2025 campaign came to a close on Thursday afternoon, losing 1-0 to Duke in the first round of the 2025 NCAA DI Men's Soccer Championship.

The Knights and Blue Devils were locked in a defensive showdown to begin the match. Across the first 45 minutes, Duke out-shot the Knights six to one, but neither team combined for a shot on goal in the first half of play. FDU's backline bent but did not break against the Duke attack, clearing out several chances across the first half of play.

The second half saw the pressure turn up for both sides, and the Knights offense created a few solid opportunities. To open up the second half, Jaime Barbero found himself to the right of the net, but his shot went wide left of goal. 

Duke began to pile the pressure on the FDU defense, but then Matheus Franca stepped up to keep things scoreless. Franca made two huge saves in the second half, keeping Duke off the board.

After being fought hard by FDU all match long, Duke finally struck with just 1:37 left in regulation. Duke's Ulfur Bjornsson found himself streaking down the pitch and open in the left side of the box. FDU's last line of defense was Corey Hudgins, who made an attempt to slow the Blue Devils attack. In the process, Hudgins was called for a foul, giving Bjornsson a penalty kick in the 88th minute. The Blue Devils' forward capitalized on the chance, putting a shot in the net to give Duke a stunning, late 1-0 lead.

Duke was able to control possession over the final minute and a half, walking away with the 1-0 victory against a Knights team that clawed to the end.

The loss ends what was an incredible campaign for FDU in 2025. The Knights picked up their first NEC title since 2022, and finished with 13 wins on the year. The 13 win total for the Knights marks the most in a single season since 2008.