On Tuesday against Colgate, No. 1 Duke was expected to dominate the game from the very beginning.
Things didn't play out exactly that way. Instead, it took the Blue Devils all of two minutes and three seconds to exert control over an overmatched Raiders squad.
Despite allowing the first goal of the game, Duke (8-0) cruised past Colgate (4-3) with a 15-7 win at Koskinen Stadium.
"Tuesday games are tough, and they are tough coming off the Carolina game," head coach John Danowski said. "I thought we were very workmanlike, and even though they scored the first goal, we came back and took a ton of shots."
The Raiders jumped out to an early lead Tuesday, winning the opening faceoff and scoring just 40 seconds into the game. It took the Blue Devils over a minute to even the score, as senior Brad Ross scored an unassisted goal at the 12:57 mark.
From then on, it was all Duke.
The Blue Devils used a patient attack to wear down their opponent, and the style of play resulted in a 7-2 lead at halftime. Duke fired a stunning 36 shots before the break while possessing the ball for long periods of time, and Colgate was able to take just nine shots of its own.
"I said to the guys at halftime, 'Listen, we've taken [36] shots,'" Danowski said. I don't know if I've ever coached a team that's taken [36] shots at halftime, and that's a phenomenal number."
After the intermission, Duke continued to pressure the Raiders' midfielders, and the turnovers the Blue Devils were able to force led to easy goals the other way. Colgate took just four shots in the third period compared to Duke's 16, and the Blue Devils led 14-4 at the end of the quarter to put the game out of reach.
"It's just the way we practice," Ross said of the team's intense pressure defense. "I don't think we jog anywhere ever, so when [the opponents] step over the midfield line, we just go as fast as we can. It gives some teams trouble because they don't practice like that."
Both Ross and Danowski also spoke of the contributions the team received from several different players Tuesday. Seniors Matt Danowski and Zack Greer got their points as they usually do, combining for six goals and four assists. Duke, however, also benefited from strong performances by Sam Payton, Nick O'Hara and many others. The team finished with an astonishing 58 shots in the game, including a dozen by Matt Danowski.
"[Colgate] didn't play Saturday so they were well prepared, and they did a really good job six-on-six, and I love the way we just kept playing and got contributions from a lot of people," John Danowski said.
The Blue Devils return to action Saturday, when they travel to Washington, D.C. to take on No. 10 Georgetown at 11 a.m. The Hoyas currently sit at 3-2 after defeating Hobart in double overtime in their most recent contest.
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