When looking back on one’s childhood, memories are often are attached to some sort of extreme emotion … fear, pain, excitement, joy, and the like. Other memories are tied to significant milestones or rites of passage as we reach new experiences along the way to adulthood- first kiss, the first thing you bought with your own money, or for me, the first time I was allowed to stay up late.
The year was 1986, and the special occasion that prompted my parents’ generosity was the men’s collegiate soccer national championship from Tacoma, Washington, which kicked-off well after 10PM Eastern time. Duke topped Akron 1-0 that night for the first ever national championship at a school that would become synonymous with winning. Now, when you see Duke dominating the competition in basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, golf, tennis and more, remember that it was Duke soccer that jump-started it all.
ne NCAA Tournament since 1999. But when the winningest coach in program history resigned after 22 years to go be the head coach at Creighton (CREIGHTON!), the reaction on campus ranged from “Who?” to “ …oh.” After all, Elmar Bolowich announced his resignation just hours before the first Carolina-Duke basketball game.