Everyone is gunning for the nation's top team.
As No. 1 Duke (12-1) heads into this weekend's matchups at No. 15 William & Mary Friday and at home against unranked St. Joseph's Sunday, the Blue Devils will still be getting used to their newfound status at the top of the polls.
Despite being the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since 2002, Duke seems unfazed.
"I don't really think we are feeling any pressure at all," junior Kristen Waagbo said. "Rankings are pretty superficial, and we just want to end up being No. 1 at the end of the year."
While Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel called the ranking "nice," she said her team must continue to play at a level that merits the honor.
"Wouldn't you come out with just a little something extra to give if you were playing the No. 1 team in the nation?" Kimel said.
When the Blue Devils travel to Williamsburg, Va. to take on William & Mary (9-5), Duke will face a talented Tribe offense that has outscored its opposition, 160-149, this season. William and Mary's attack is led by senior Collen Dalon, who has scored 40 goals, and junior Emily Vitrano with 34.
"William & Mary's strength as a program has always been their gritty, scrappy play," Kimel said. "They probably feel like they are on the cusp NCAA-wise and maybe they feel like a big win could help them."
Sunday's 12 p.m. Senior Day game at Koskinen Stadium will feature a St. Joseph's team that has had a rocky season. The Hawks (4-7) are 1-3 in the Atlantic 10 and have been outscored by opponents, 127-112.
Duke's attack, anchored by Waagbo, senior Katie Chrest and sophomore Rachel Sanford will try to exploit St. Joseph goalie Sarah Magan, who has given up an average of 11.68 goals per game with a save percentage of .393.
Waagbo is leading the Blue Devils with 55 points and is tops in the ACC in assists with 1.85 per game. Chrest is the conference leader in goals scored, averaging nearly three per contest, while Sanford is ranked 10th in the country in caused turnovers.
In addition, the three were recently nominated for the Tewaarton Award, giving Duke a trio of representatives in the 21-player pool for the national player of the year trophy.
"Katie and Kristen-the statistics they've accumulated over the season draw a lot of attention," Kimel said. "Rachel has battled a knee injury all season, and she found a way to manage swelling and pain right around the Northwestern game.... Now is her opportunity to really hit her stride."
The two non-conference opponents will give Duke a breather from the intense level of ACC play. With four of the conference's six teams listed among the top six in the nation, the games this weekend will give the Blue Devils time to focus on fixing their own problems before heading into the ACC Championships April 28 in Baltimore.
"We play such a hard schedule that we don't have an opportunity to, relax obviously isn't the word, but to play a game where we can really focus on ourselves," Kimel said. "We always prepare for our opponents equally, but the focus has really been on us for these last few games-since going into Boston College-so that we can build momentum going into the ACC tournament."
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