What better way to cap off an unsatisfactory season than with a more than satisfactory win?
In its last home-field competition of the season yesterday, the field hockey team (7-11), plagued by a losing record, sealed its season with a well-fought 3-1 victory over the Yale Bulldogs (3-11).
Although Friday's overtime sudden-death loss to Virginia (10-6) was a disappointment, the Blue Devils managed to maintain intensity and focus for their last performance on Williams Field.
With President Nan Keohane applauding from the sidelines, Duke dominated Yale from the first blow of the whistle. Three minutes into play, Sarah Wright knocked in her first goal of the season, assisted by Courtney Sommer on a penalty corner rebound.
In the 13 penalty corners that would follow throughout the course of the game, Duke would only score on two more. However, this number wasn't indicative of the team's scoring opportunities. The Blue Devils dominated play offensively, firing 20 shots in comparison to Yale's six.
Duke had several beautifully orchestrated offense rushes, but it could only manage a 1-0 lead at the half.
The intensity continued in the second half as the Blue Devils peppered Yale goalie Wendy Ketner with shots, one of which hit the post and was barely deflected out of bounds.
Duke finally put in its second long-awaited goal at the 14-minute mark when Angie North fired a shot off a stick stop from Robin Merritt. Deflecting off the stick of a Yale defenseman, the ball sailed past Ketner into the top corner of the net. The Blue Devils scored on a similar play with three minutes left to play, as Sommer floated a ball into the net.
Although the Bulldogs retaliated late in the game, their one goal with 22 seconds left to play, was not enough to bring them back.
Even though it was comforting to end the regulation on a win, Friday's match against UVa didn't have the same outcome. In its last ACC game of the season, Duke was ready to fight its way out of the last spot in the conference and seek revenge against the team that knocked it out of the ACC tournament last year.
But the Blue Devils once again came up short. At the 18-minute mark of the first half, Virginia's Jessica Coleman fired in a straight shot off a penalty corner. Minutes later, after a beautiful passing sequence in front of the Duke goal, Katie Slocum tipped another ball past Blue Devil goalie Hallie Smith.
Down 2-0 at the half, Duke's revenge was in jeopardy. However, a different Blue Devil team stepped on the field the second half, and Virginia's victory would not come so easily.
Seven minutes into play, Liz Bateman tipped in a goal off an assist from North. Finally on the board, the Duke offense turned up the intensity.
With 23 minutes remaining, Merritt earned her third goal of the season by netting a powerful penalty stroke past Virginia goalie Becky Worthington.
All tied up at the end of regulation, the teams started into a seven-aside sudden death overtime. Five minutes later, a Virginia penalty corner sealed the match. Carrie Goodloe fired a shot into the boards and left the Blue Devils with yet another abrupt, sour ending.
"This is the third time in a row we've lost to UVa in seven-aside overtime," said Sommer. "Though it's disappointing, we really fought this weekend."
Despite a weekend of mixed results, Sommer seemed extremely optimistic about Duke's rematch against UVa this Thursday in the first round of the ACC tournament.
"The ACC tournament is an excellent opportunity to play with the best teams in the country," Sommer said. "After this weekend, we know we can beat UVa."
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