Their last four meetings have been breathtaking one-point games. Tomorrow, the Duke women's lacrosse team will once again face North Carolina in what will be a heated first round of the ACC tournament.
Matching up in Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., the second-seeded Blue Devils (11-2, 2-1 in the ACC) and the third-seeded Tar Heels (9-4, 1-2) will add another game to the Carlyle Cup competition, which Duke currently leads 20-17.
The Blue Devils barely squeaked out a win March 17, when sophomore high-scorer Lauren Gallagher, who has 40 points this season, fired a shot into the Carolina net with 14 seconds left in regulation. Although Duke had led 6-3 after 30 minutes, the Tar Heels made a valiant second-half effort, tying the score 9-9 at the the two-minute mark. Offensive threats Lindsay Stone and Christine McPike were prominent on the Carolina attack, scoring three and four goals, respectively.
Despite the efforts of the Tar Heels, seven Duke player contributed to the score, earning a 10-9 win.
But Duke has not always been as successful against the Tar Heels. In last year's ACC tournament semifinals, Duke was silenced by top-seeded Carolina, making the Blue Devils 0-4 against the Tar Heels in ACC tournament history.
Duke currently stands fourth in the national rankings while Carolina trails close behind at No. 6. Boasting the best ACC record in school history, The Blue Devils' chances are better than ever this season to take home an ACC title.
The Duke squad can claim both strength and depth, as more than six women have been prominent scorers this season. Gallagher, Kate Kaiser, Kelly Dirks, Claire Finn, Claire Sullivan, and Kate Soulier are among the main reasons Duke is fresh off an impressive nine-game winning streak.
Kaiser, a nationally recognized player, leads the team with 31 goals. She can claim two five-goal games and another four-goal game against difficult competition.
In the goal, junior Kristen Foster has been a hero for Duke. Foster ranks first in the ACC and ninth in the country, saving 59 percent of her opponent' shots on goal.
Also competing tomorrow is top-seeded Maryland and fourth-seeded Virginia. The winner of this match will face the Duke-UNC winner Sunday in the ACC championship game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.