Coming off of its biggest win of the season Friday against No. 10 Boston College, Duke looks to continue its winning ways as it travels to Elon tonight at 7 p.m.
For the No. 11 Blue Devils (4-1-2), the matchup may be tougher than records indicate. The Phoenix (3-2-2) enter having won or tied five straight games and are fresh off a 4-1 rout of Davidson.
“It’s going to be a difficult game,” head coach John Kerr said. “Elon’s a good team and they had a great result over the weekend…. We know we’re going to need to roll our sleeves up and come to play.”
Duke comes into the match playing some of its best defense in recent memory. Sophomore goalie James Belshaw has not surrendered a goal in the last 191 minutes of play, a streak that spans more than two games. The defense has also been exceptionally physical, keeping opponents from getting good looks on goal and only allowing six shots over the last two games.
“[Belshaw’s] confidence is growing by the minute,” Kerr said. “He made some really quality saves over the weekend to save us from letting Boston College tie it up. The defense is also playing with a lot of confidence. We feel strong about how we are approaching things defensively.”
Yet while the defense performed valiantly against Boston College and UNC-Wilmington, a new challenge presents itself tonight in the form of Phoenix sophomore Chris Thomas. The forward has scored in an impressive five straight games, and has been able to slip by defenses with his quickness. His speed and precision will present a major challenge for Blue Devil defenders.
“He’s off to a great start and we have to be very aware of him for sure,” Kerr said. “Yet it’s the same with other teams we play. They always have one or two strikers.”
Offensively, Duke looks to improve on Friday’s performance against the Eagles. While the Blue Devils only netted one goal—a strike by junior Chris Tweed-Kent—the offense played a solid match. Connecting passes and getting solid shots on goal, Duke will look to improve its production and rely on a more diverse group of scorers.
“We’re creating more chances for ourselves with different areas of the field,” Kerr said. “We’re getting more into our groove offensively, and we’re sharing the load.”
The Blue Devils also aim to maintain strong play away from Koskinen Stadium. Tonight is just the second time this season that Duke will travel, and immediately following Elon is the first ACC road match of the year against Maryland. While tonight’s matchup doesn’t matter toward the ACC standings, it does present a major opportunity to show the conference that Duke means business on the road, a point Kerr was quick to reiterate.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to go on the road again and prove we can get wins,” Kerr said.
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