Brothers, athletes, captains
The Dukers of Newton are leaders on the field
The Duker brothers - Jake, Bear, and Sam - share a common passion and a rare distinction.
Jake, a senior at Amherst College, Bear, a junior at Tufts University, and Sam, a senior at Belmont Hill School, will all be serving as captains of their soccer teams this fall.
To keep track of their children's soccer games, Jay and Julie Duker highlight their schedules on a list attached to the refrigerator in their Newton home. Their 12-year-old daughter, Elly, keeps track of the scores.
"My parents are saints the way they support us and spend so much time driving to games," said Jake. "Soccer is like a religion for us."
When Amherst plays New England Small College Athletic Conference rival Tufts, Julie wears something that represents each school.
Jake, a forward who led Amherst last fall with eight goals and three assists, was an all-region and All-NESCAC selection. Amherst finished 15-2-1 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division 3 tournament. But Jake missed several games after breaking a bone in his left ankle.
"Jake responded with the most courageous effort I've seen in my coaching career," said Amherst coach Justin Serpone. "He begged me to let him play in our second-round game against Western New England. He's our link from midfield to the attack."
Jake scored two goals in the 3-2 victory over WNEC.
"You only get so many chances to play in the NCAAs. Taping helped and the pain was bearable," said Jake, "and even though I couldn't shoot with my left foot, one goal deflected off my thigh and the other was just at the back post."
He also scored a goal on a penalty kick in Amherst's third-round loss to York College.
"It's a great honor to be a captain," said Jake. "Sam will understand this year that it's also a great responsibility."
Jake and Bear, who also served as captains at Belmont Hill, go head-to-head as college opponents, with the elder Duker holding the edge so far.
Jake scored a goal in a penalty-kick shootout two years ago when Amherst defeated Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinals. He also netted the winner in a 2-0 victory at Tufts in a regular-season game last fall. Their teams will meet again Oct. 4 in Amherst.
"Playing against Bear is fun because he's always gunning for me. Whenever I have the ball, I'm prepared for him," said Jake, "but as his brother, I do feel for him when we beat him."
At Belmont Hill, Jake was a four-time All-Independent School League pick, two-time team MVP, and a Globe All-Scholastic.
A Duker has been Belmont Hill's leading scorer the past seven seasons - Jake four times, Bear once, and Sam twice. All have earned All-ISL honors.
A two-time All-ISL selection, Bear plays midfield on a Tufts team that finished 5-8-1 last fall. He had one assist last season while battling a hamstring injury and had three goals and three assists his freshman year.
"He has a lot of natural drive and competitiveness," said Tufts coach Ralph Ferrigno. "I hope it rubs off on our team."
Bear said his older brother has speed, endurance, and a knack for scoring, but that his style is different. "I'm more of an assist player with field vision and I feed off my emotion and intensity."
Bear, whose given name is Benjamin, said the nickname his parents bestowed on him suits his build and personality, and was the subject of his college essay.
Jake and Bear played on Belmont Hill's New England Prep semifinalist team when the former was a junior and the latter a sophomore. Bear was also an integral part of Belmont Hill's ISL title run his senior season.
"I've always looked up to them," said Sam. "They taught me the physical part of the game. Following them as captain is something I'm proud of but there's pressure to maintain that standard.
"Going up against them definitely made me a better player. I don't back down from anyone, even though I'm not as big physically as Jake and Bear," added Sam, who is leaning toward Tufts as his college choice but is considering Amherst, Harvard, and MIT.
Sam said their parents have been an inspiration.
"They want us to be the best that we can be," he said, "but they're never intrusive with our coaches."
Jay, director of the New England Eye Center and chairman of ophthalmology at Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, played freshman hockey at Harvard. He also helped coach the Harvard women's team, where he met Julie (Starr), a former three-sport captain at Concord Academy who captained the 1981-82 Harvard team.
The Dukers, who once had New England Revolution star Taylor Twellman as a tenant, thought their boys would be hockey players, but once they got a taste of soccer in Newton's youth program, the verdict was unanimous.
"I coached them until they were 12," said Jay, "then I figured they knew more about soccer than I did."
Julie is also proud of her sons. "Each in his own way worked hard at a sport they care a lot about," she said. "It's been great fun to watch them."
Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@ rcn.com. 