The Blue Devils failed to welcome Boston College to the ACC in the manner in which they wanted.
But tonight, an eager Duke team will have its second chance to spoil an Eagles' welcome party, when Boston College gets its first taste of ACC Championship play.
The fourth-seeded Blue Devils will square off with fifth-seeded Boston College at 8 p.m. in the first round of the ACC Championships at the SAS Soccer Complex in Cary, N.C.
No. 12 Duke lost to the No. 13 Eagles, 1-0, in the two teams' first meeting Sept. 30. Boston College scored the lone goal of the game early in the second half, as the two teams combined for just eight total shots on goal.
"We have to have more urgency this time around," said junior midfielder Darby Kroyer, who was named to the All-ACC Second Team Tuesday. "We didn't pick it up until 20 minutes into the second half and from there, we were all over them. It needs to start right from the beginning."
The Blue Devils, who feature the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year Carolyn Ford, finished the season with the league's stingiest defense, allowing just nine goals in their 17 games.
But Boston College boasts a back line nearly as good. Under the leadership of junior defender Laura Georges, a member of the ACC's first team, the Eagles recorded a conference-best 12 shutouts.
The Blue Devils enter the game coming off a 3-1 win over Miami Oct. 28. They posted 28 shots in the game, which was their highest output of the season.
"It was a good performance and you want to go into the ACC tournament on a positive note and mindset," Church said. "I think that really set us off."
Of the eight teams that qualified for the tournament, six are ranked in the top 25, including last year's champion No. 8 Virginia.
The Cavaliers won the championship game on penalty kicks against North Carolina, which had won 16 of the previous 17 ACC Championships.
Last year, Duke lost in the semifinals to North Carolina-the only team other than the Blue Devils to win its first round matchup in each of the last three years.
"We had a really nice regular season but now is the fun time of year," Church said. "It's elimination time. There's a big sense of urgency for our players, especially since we are a veteran team with a number of senior players.
"Everything is a little more urgent now. Every game is single elimination. One defensive lapse, one spell of not scoring, and we're out of the tournament."
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