Duke vs. North Carolina. David vs. Goliath.
Today at 4 p.m., the Duke field hockey team will host No. 1 North Carolina at the West Campus Turf Field.
UNC (6-0, 0-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) is off to an impressive start, outscoring its opponents 29-4. This domination has not been due to weak competition--rather, all six wins have been against top-20 teams. Today's game will mark the first time this season that UNC has played a non-ranked opponent.
Although that may seem like a scary thought for Duke fans, Blue Devil head coach Jacki Silar believes it may work to her team's advantage.
"[UNC] may take us lightly," Silar said.
That would be a bonus for the Blue Devils (3-3, 0-1). But Duke feels that regardless of how the Tar Heels come to play, it has a legitimate chance at a victory. Senior forward Tamara Gehris believes that it is important to set the pace of the game from the beginning.
"So many teams are intimidated by UNC," Gehris said. "They forget about their game plan and let North Carolina have their way with them."
At the same time, Duke must capitalize on any Carolina mistake. Mistakes are rare, however, for the Tar Heels.
Star goalkeeper Jana Withrow has allowed only four goals in her first six games and has already recorded four shutouts. She has rarely been tested though, saving only 13 shots.
Duke is hoping to give her some action and find out if she is deserving of her stellar 0.67 goals against average. Sophomore forward Melissa Panasci is optimistic.
"I think if we play our game, the shots will come," Panasci said.
So far this season, Panasci has taken advantage of her opportunities. She has already scored 11 goals and hopes to add to that total today.
North Carolina has a star forward of its own. Sophomore Kate Barber has nine goals and two assists.
Duke must figure out how to stop her, while trying to keep up with the rest of the Tar Heels--team speed is probably their biggest strength. Coach Silar has definitely taken note of that.
"In all my years of coaching at Duke [15 years], this team has more overall team speed than I've ever seen," Silar said.
The Blue Devils must contain that speed, and then pick moments to attack UNC's stingy defense. The Duke forwards are excited to have their crack at the Tar Heel defense.
"I've been looking forward to this game since the beginning of the year," Panasci said. "I know if we play our game, we will have a good shot."
Gehris is also ready to face the stiff competition.
"We have nothing to lose," Gehris said. "As long as we concentrate throughout, we should be able to put ourselves in position for a win."
You never know. Remember David and Goliath.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.