Appalachian State will look to dethrone Duke tonight at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium. Third in the Southern Conference standings, the Mountaineers (4-3) have nothing to lose and everything to gain against the undefeated Blue Devils (9-0).
“The guys have seen that no matter who we play, we are a big target right now,” Duke head coach John Rennie said.
After a stunning victory over top-ranked Maryland Saturday, the bullseye on the Blue Devils is bigger than it has been all season. With a strong offensive unit, the Mountaineers will be itching to take down Duke, but the Blue Devils’ defense has only allowed three goals in 2004 and has recorded seven shutouts.
Rennie is wary of underestimating any team at this point in the season.
“[One] has to respect the game, it can be a one-goal game no matter who you play,” Rennie said. “A lot of the preparation for [tonight] is mental.”
The Blue Devils practiced a new defensive strategy Tuesday. Although ecstatic about the win over Maryland, Danny Miller, Duke’s backfield leader, respects the challenge posed by Appalachian State.
“Against Maryland we got spread out on defense and it became a run-and-gun type of game,” Miller said. “We need to stay together more as a team defensively.”
The new strategy places four defenders in the back and should enable the Blue Devils to be quicker on the counterattack and generate more goal-scoring opportunities.
“At Maryland we ended up just playing straight defense,” Miller said. “[The new defense] will help us put more pressure on the opposing offense.”
The Mountaineers, defeated by third-ranked UNC-Greensboro Saturday, have demonstrated an ability to score frequently with 24 goals in seven game.
“They have very good speed upfront, they will be looking to always counter,” Rennie said.
Appalachian State is similar to Duke in that its roster is also dominated by strong freshman. The young Blue Devils, however, must not be overconfident.
Saturday’s performance earned the Blue Devil’s a No. 7 national ranking in the NSCAA National Coach’s Poll. Although Appalachian State may appear to be a typical midweek opponent, Duke has learned to take nothing for granted.
“I think the guys have learned from Campbell and ECU that no game is an easy game,” Rennie said.
The Blue Devils, atop the ACC after the weekend, last met the Mountaineers in 2001, when they won 3-1. Duke will resume its ACC season Sunday against rival North Carolina.
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