Seniors look to win last home game

When the No. 8 Blue Devils take the field tomorrow, they will be concentrating on more than just ending their four-game losing streak. For the seven seniors on the Duke roster, the matchup against Boston College at 12 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium marks the final home game in their Blue Devil careers.

With Duke (7-5, 1-2 in the ACC) reaching the NCAA semifinals the last three seasons, this senior class may be the most impressive to date for the Blue Devils' program. The seniors made an impact for Duke from the moment they stepped foot on campus, and they will leave behind a heralded legacy.

"The spirit of this class really lifted [the 2005] team," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "After having less fortune from 2002 to 2004, that was the year we got back on track. While a lot of [the current seniors] didn't play much as freshmen, they injected our team with a much-needed breath of fresh air."

Now, the senior class will need to boost the Blue Devils yet again versus the Eagles (4-7, 2-2) to bring the team out of its current slump. Although Duke has faced an onslaught of injuries this season-with seniors Caroline Cryer, Kimberly Pastrana and Abigail Meyer still on the sidelines-the rest of the class, including starters Allie Johnson, Sarah Kirchhofer and Aiyana Newton, has provided consistent contributions for the Blue Devils this year.

But perhaps the biggest impact for Duke has been the continuing dominance of junior Carolyn Davis. Davis' improving mobility as she continues to recover from an ACL tear has allowed her to return to her natural position in the midfield. The junior's performance in her last game against No. 1 Northwestern, in which she picked up three ground balls and won three draw controls, may be a sign of her increasing comfort playing as a midfielder.

"At some point, we kind of equated [the position change] to being like the mother bird pushing the baby out of the nest," Kimel said. "At some point, she had to go. We don't expect her on defense on every possession, but we want her more involved."

With the postseason fast approaching, the Blue Devils need a strong finish in their final three games to create momentum for the ACC tournament. And for the seniors, these last contests will determine if they make it a perfect 4-for-4 in reaching the final four.

"We have to remember that sometimes it's not about the winning," Kimel said. "Rather, [it's about] becoming a better team and having faith in each other that if we do these things and work hard, we're going to get there. The season isn't over just because we lost some games."