With the top four-teams in the nation, the ACC has a strong monopoly over collegiate field hockey.
Third-ranked Maryland, 1-1 in the ACC, will be playing away from home for the first time in over a month when it faces No. 4 Duke (9-2, 0-2 in the ACC) tomorrow afternoon. This game will be invariably important to the Blue Devils.
"It's the difference between three games and two games in the tournament," head coach Beth Bozman said. "It's very important."
Maryland boasts an overall 12-1 record, losing only to top-ranked Wake Forest. Led by freshman Paula Infante, who is tied for the second-most points (33) in the nation, Maryland depends on the talent of its underclassmen. Infante poses a strong offensive threat that Duke's defense will have to quash.
Also with an impressive defense, Maryland has found success in putting defensive pressure on its opponents by minimizing their shots and corners. Similarly, Duke has been able to keep a tight hold on its opponents' offenses, frequently outshooting and outcornering them. Even with Maryland's impressive statistics, Duke remains confident.
"We've just been preparing to play another game," Bozman said. "Maryland's a good team, like a lot of the other teams we've played. So, we've just been preparing for another good team."
Nonetheless, the Blue Devils are not intimidated by the Terrapins, knowing that in many ways, Duke is a stronger team.
"We're a faster team than Maryland," Bozman said. "We probably have a little more experience across the board, and we have a stronger goalkeeper. I think if we play our game, we can play with any team in the country."
To prepare for the matchup, the Blue Devils have been working on refining their skills, while concentrating on playing hard for the entire game. Coming out on top of a huge 7-0 shut out against Boston University last weekend, Duke has gathered some positive momentum to carry over to Saturday's game. Against a strong Maryland team, Duke will need to keep its focus.
"Our weaknesses right now have proven to be that we haven't played the full 70 minutes against the tops teams," Bozman said. "We really need to be able to put that together."
In what will undoubtedly be an exciting game, the Blue Devils will have to be on top of their game to pull out a win. A Duke win would further its momentum to its next games against Wake Forest and UNC, the only two teams that have defeated the Blue Devils this season.
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