The scene was all too familiar for the third-seeded Blue Devils.
Less than a year after Virginia achieved the greatest comeback in college lacrosse history against Duke in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils seemed primed to avenge the season-ending loss.
But just like that fateful afternoon last year, the Blue Devils saw the win-and a shot at the ACC championship-slip away from them.
In yet another crushing defeat, Duke fell to the second-seeded Cavaliers 10-9 Friday afternoon at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
The Blue Devils are now 0-2 against their conference foe this season.
Duke (10-7) came out wanting to set the tone early and gain the momentum over Virginia (13-3)-which it did, sprinting to a 7-1 first-half edge.
The team went on to finish the period with a comfortable 8-3 advantage. The Blue Devils dominated on both ends of the field, as the team scored the most goals on Virginia in a single stanza this season. Six different Duke players found the net in the first period, including attackers Megan Del Monte and Sarah Bullard, who each notched two scores.
But the five-goal lead was not enough to put Virginia away for good. Unlike last year's 10-goal comeback, the Cavaliers only needed seven to move on to the final round of the championship.
In the second half, the Blue Devils failed to stave off the Virginia offense, as the Cavaliers tied the game, 8-8, with 15 minutes remaining. Key goals from attackers Jenny Hauser, Megan O'Malley and midfielder Blair Weymouth brought Virginia back into the game in a dominant third-quarter performance.
Just after the Cavaliers pulled ahead for the first time, 9-8, Bullard's third goal of the game gave Duke its first-and only- score of the second half.
With less than five minutes remaining, though, O'Malley found the back of the net for the third time, sealing the win for Virginia.
Despite finally gaining the upper hand in draw controls, the Blue Devils were unable to translate their offensive possessions into goals. Midfielders Emma Hamm and Jess Adam combined for eight of Duke's 12 controls.
"I was really proud of our kids the way they handled the draw," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "That hurt us in the first game of the season against Virginia-we just felt like we never had the ball. The kids who were around the circle and that were in those scrum situations did a fantastic job."
A balanced attack led the Blue Devils for much of the game, with six different players scoring for the Blue Devils.
Duke advanced to the semifinal matchup with Virginia with a 19-6 rout of Virginia Tech Thursday. The 19 goals were the second-most in ACC tournament history. Junior Carolyn Davis paced the squad in the win, posting a team-high four goals.
After the heartbreaking loss, the Blue Devils have one final contest remaining before the start of the NCAA tournament. Duke will finish the regular season when it travels to Hanover, N.H. to take on No. 19 Dartmouth May 4.
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