After reaching its second Final Four in program history a year ago, a more experienced women's lacrosse team is hoping to bring home its first national championship.
"I think we are going to start right where we left off last year with a lot of intensity," senior goalkeeper Megan Huether said. "We always have a lot of expectations going in, just being Duke and all the success we've had in the past. Our goal is to be in Boston at the end of May. We want to start out [today] with that vision in mind."
When Duke opens its regular season today against Longwood, which is entering its first season as a Division I team, the Blue Devils will closely resemble the squad that lost to Virginia, 15-13, in the national semifinals and finished with a 17-4 record.
The Blue Devils, who are returning their seven top goal scorers, are led by senior attacker Katie Chrest-the reigning Tewaaraton Trophy winner for National Player of the Year. She averaged 4.52 points per game as a junior.
On the defensive side of the field, the experienced Huether, who was named to the preseason All-America second team, will help anchor a defense that lost four players to graduation.
Nevertheless, the defense is shaping up to be quick and athletic, which should lead to a transition game that the Blue Devils hope to rely on for scoring, Chrest said.
"I think we have the opportunity to be a better unit than last year," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "We definitely have less experience so that might result in giving up more goals, but we still have Meg Huether, and we have a lot of kids returning-key players that have played like Laura Anderson and Meg Ferguson, who have played since their freshman year."
Even though last season's eighth-best scoring defense will have to groom some new talent, sophomore Jessica Adam and junior Michelle Menser return to anchor the midfield. Both players saw action in all 21 games last season and combined for 32 goals.
Kimel said as the season goes on, her team will need to develop its depth even with all the returning talent. To remain fresh, she will mix in some of the freshmen, such as attacker Megan Del Monte, who was a two-time US Lacrosse All-American, Kimel said.
Duke's road to a National Championship will not be without some difficult tests along the way, however. It will face off against two of the three other teams from last year's Final Four, including a home game against No. 4 Virginia April 1. The Blue Devils defeated the Cavaliers last year in the ACC Championship, 9-6, before their eventual season-ending loss.
"We are really proud of the schedule we play," Kimel said. "Our kids believe that if we want to be the best we have to play the best, and they enjoy playing those tough games in tough venues. We want to be in the thick of things for an ACC and National Championship just like every other year, and we feel really good about our chances."
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