DURHAM, N.C. — Ulfur Bjornsson converted an 88th-minute penalty kick to lift Duke past Fairleigh Dickinson 1-0 on Thursday night in an NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship first-round match at Koskinen Stadium.
The Blue Devils (10-3-6) advanced to face Princeton in the second round on Nov. 23 after finally breaking through against a resilient Knights defense that frustrated them for 87 minutes before 236 spectators.
Bjornsson drew the decisive foul deep in FDU territory during a frantic final stretch, then calmly slotted his penalty kick low to the right past goalkeeper Matheus Franca, who received a yellow card for his protests immediately after the goal.
Duke controlled possession throughout the match, recording 14 shot attempts to FDU's four and earning eight corner kicks to the Knights' three. Yet the territorial advantage yielded frustratingly few clear chances against FDU's organized defensive block.
The Knights (13-6-3) arrived in Durham riding momentum from their Northeast Conference championship run, which included victories over Le Moyne (3-1) and Saint Francis (1-0 in overtime). Their defensive discipline kept Duke off the scoreboard through halftime despite the Blue Devils' pressure.
FDU goalkeeper Gabriel Le Guen made two crucial saves to preserve the deadlock, while the Knights' back line repeatedly cleared dangerous situations. Duke's attack struggled for precision, with Drew Kerr, Max Simpson and Alessandro Arlotti all firing attempts that either sailed high or were blocked.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Both teams made wholesale changes at intermission — FDU rotating four players, Duke three — but the adjustments failed to unlock the stalemate through 70 minutes.
Discipline became a subplot as the match tightened. FDU's Nk Tima earned a yellow card in the 46th minute for an unsporting challenge on Bjornsson. Connor O'Reilly joined him in the referee's book in the 69th minute, while Duke's Preston Zabinko and Bjornsson both received cautions before the eventual breakthrough.
Duke's three shots on target proved sufficient against FDU's none, highlighting the clinical difference. The Knights couldn't register a single shot on frame despite their defensive organization, ultimately costing them in a tournament environment where margins evaporate.
The result demonstrated Duke's resilience after their ACC Championship loss to No. 12 California. The Blue Devils' patience through 88 minutes of sustained pressure earned them survival and advancement, while FDU's impressive tournament run ended just short of an upset. Duke now travels to Princeton to play #3 ranked team on November 23.