Carolyn Davis has begun her college career at Duke with a bang.
Davis has scored 30 goals-the third highest on the team-and has recorded playing time in all 15 games, starting in 12 of them. She is the only freshman starter on No. 1 Duke's offense, but she has adjusted well, contributing 17 ground ball pickups, seven assists and 20 draw controls during the team's 14-1 season.
But even this standout midfielder has made some first-year mistakes.
"On the first day of practice in the spring, you're supposed to bring your sweatpants and sweatshirt, and I didn't," Davis recalled. "It was really cold and everybody put theirs on, and I had to wear someone's old, ratty, dirty gray ones. They almost made an example out of me and made me run, but they didn't."
Despite such rookie errors, Davis, one of seven freshmen on the team, credits her successful season to the Blue Devils' three coaches and the upperclassmen.
"All the coaches are really patient," Davis said. "If you need extra time, they're always willing to go out there and help you."
A strong bond between the classes has also been key to Davis's move into college play.
"It helps to have a relationship with everyone on and off the field because you can separate the two," Davis said. "The whole team made a huge effort in the beginning of the season to create relationships with the new freshmen."
Davis' season really began in Duke's third contest, a 9-7 nailbiting victory over Maryland February 25. The freshman scored three goals, two of which came in the first three minutes of the second half to spark the offense. She has started every game since the win.
"She has made a wonderful transition," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "She is incredibly gifted athletically and is hands down the fastest player on the team. Her combination of speed and stick skills have made her transition to the college game relatively seamless."
Davis cited the high level of play and talent of the other student-athletes as the crucial factor in her decision to attend Duke over her other option, Brown, where she was also heavily recruited.
"It was an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by the best players in the nation and be able to play with them," Davis said. "I'm challenged every day by every single person on the team. I learn something new every day from just being around such great players."
This season, Davis joined a veteran offense of Katie Chrest, Caroline Cryer, Leigh Jester, Rachel Sanford and Kristen Waagbo, augmenting an attack that has combined to outscore opponents 233-116 so far.
"It's hard transitioning into a team where everybody already knows how each other plays, and you're just kind of thrown in there," the freshman said of the move from high school to college. "I'm the only new one of the offense, so they didn't really know where and when to look for me, and I didn't know where they were going to cut."
At Skaneateles Senior High School, Davis set the New York State record for career assists with 274 and also for total assists in a season with a tally of 82.
"Everyone at Duke was one of the best players on their high school team, so it's just different," Davis said. "I had to learn how to fit into things more in the flow of offense, which is one of the hardest things. You have to be able to fit into what everyone else is doing."
Overall, the jump from high school to the top-ranked college team in the country has been trying at times, but mainly a success for Davis.
"She's a true competitor, really tough-minded," Kimel said. "She can handle the pressure well. The most exciting thing is that she still has a lot of room to grow as a player. She's had a great year, and she can be so much better."
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