For Duke’s seniors, the ACC tournament quarterfinal represents the accumulation of four years of hard work.
Jane Alukonis, KayAnne Gummersall, Elisabeth Redmond and Sara Murphy—all senior co-captains of this year’s squad—lead the Blue Devils to Cary, N.C. Wednesday to face No. 6 Florida State (14-3-1, 7-2-1 in the ACC) at noon at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The last time these two teams met, they were deadlocked in a 110-minute struggle, ending in a 0-0 tie after double overtime on Oct. 11.
More importantly, that game was a turning point for the Blue Devils (8-7-4, 4-4-2). It showed that they could compete with any team in the country as Duke’s defense, led by four freshmen, was able to shut out Florida State’s offense, one of the best in the country.
But the Blue Devils can expect Florida State to be a much more difficult opponent this time around. The Seminoles have won four of their last five contests—including a win against No. 2 North Carolina. They are led by sophomore Tiffany McCarthy, who has 15 goals and six assists so far this season.
“Florida State has the highest-scoring combo up front, and two of their players will make the All-ACC team,” head coach Robbie Church said. “We had a nothing-nothing tie last time we played them, so we obviously need to find a little more offense. We’ve got to get a couple of people scoring.”
In order for Duke to stimulate its offense, they will rely on the experience and leadership of its four seniors. The Blue Devils are relatively young with their starting lineup, meaning that many of their players do not have familiarity playing in big games such as those in the ACC tournament.
So far this season, the co-captains have done their job. Gummersall leads the team with 11 goals and four assists. Redmond has contributed three goals and 12 assists. However, Church said these statistics do not properly represent their contributions.
“I think [the captains] have done an unbelievable job,” Church said. “On the field, but more importantly off the field, they have been the team’s leaders. They have been the rocks of this team. I am extremely proud of that.”
Early in the season, the Blue Devils struggled to maintain the excellence that characterized previous years’ squads, leaving them in danger of missing the ACC tournament. But a late-season surge, including a win against then-No. 13 Virginia Tech, gave Duke the boost it needed to earn a berth in Cary.