When the men's lacrosse team faces off against Massachusetts tomorrow at 1 p.m., Duke begins a week during which it hopes to justify a lofty No. 2 national ranking. The Blue Devils (8-0) must first take on UMass, a team which was ranked in the top 20 in the preseason, before moving on to face two nationally ranked conference opponents in Virginia and North Carolina.
The Minutemen (3-4) have been unable to live up to their preseason expectations, but nevertheless present a formidable challenge for the Blue Devils. Massachusetts has lost three games this season by a total of four goals and has been led by a solid defensive unit.
The UMass defense is anchored by Chris Campolettano, a goaltender who is among the nation's leaders in both goals-against average and save percentage. This may present a problem for Duke, which had some difficulty getting the ball past Harvard's Keith Cynar last weekend.
For the Minutemen, this presents a prime opportunity to redeem themselves from their lackluster start, but perhaps more importantly, it would allow them to avenge their defeat at the hands of the Blue Devils last year. Coming into last year's matchup, UMass was undefeated at 6-0 but got blown out by Duke in Amherst, 15-4. The tables are turned this year, with Duke coming in undefeated and the game being played in Durham.
The Blue Devils have started the season in impressive fashion and come into the game with much momentum. Duke is currently scoring more than 13 goals per game, while surrendering only 7.25, giving it one of the widest margins of victory in the country.
A win by Duke would allow it to extend its best-ever start and take the lead in the series between the two teams, which currently stands at 3-3.
More importantly, however, it would set the tone for a week in which Duke can solidify its standing as one of the best teams in the nation.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.