After a scoring frenzy from Ryan Finley and the Blue Devils Tuesday night, Duke fans left Koskinen Stadium, wondering what the sophomore and his team would do next. Those fans will find out tonight, as No. 11 Duke plays rival No. 4 North Carolina in its second conference match at Koskinen Stadium at 6:30 p.m.
The Blue Devils (2-0-2, 1-0-1 in the ACC) will be led by Finley, who has scored seven goals in his last three games, including three Wednesday night against George Washington and the heroic, game-tying goal late in Saturday’s match against No. 2 Virginia. While Saturday’s tie might have been a let down for Duke after leading the Cavaliers for most of the game, the team bounced back in its match-up against the Colonials, capturing a convincing 4-0 win.
It seems like the Blue Devils have hit their stride recently, bolstering confidence in a team that lost three scrimmage matches in August.
“In the first few games, we were finding out which combinations worked best,” head coach John Kerr said. “Over the past three games, we’ve found out about our personality, attitude and approach.”
The stage is set for Finley and the Blue Devils to make some noise in the ACC standings and the national rankings this weekend.
“We must step up both individually and as a team,” Finley said. “We need to keep playing well in our ACC schedule. Every win means a lot in the ACC standings.”
Of course, tonight’s game is not just any conference game. It is Duke’s latest installment in its long rivalry with North Carolina (2-1-0, 2-0), and beating the Tar Heels, whose only loss came against No. 1 Akron Sept. 4, is no easy task.
North Carolina is coming off a hard-fought 1-0 win over N.C. State. Adding to the intensity will be the presence of television cameras, a first on the season.
“It is a huge deal to be playing UNC,” Finley said. “Being on TV is extra motivation to play well.”
Kerr has high expectations for his team but noted that there is certainly room for improvement. Getting the ball to Finley figures to be a major part of his game plan, he stressed that other forwards need to get in the offensive flow as well.
“We have to balance out the scoring and get more guys on the score sheet,” he said. “Finley cannot be the only one scoring goals.”
Although the team needs to work on spreading the ball, Kerr believes Duke is up to the challenge of taking down its rival.
“We need to capitalize on our strengths,” he said. “We are feeling confident that we can beat them.”
Adding to the team’s confidence is a marked increase in team chemistry, Finley said. The forward also attributed his recent success to the hard work of the entire team.
“What separates us from other teams is our chemistry,” he said. “We have a great mentality, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys.”
A Duke victory tonight would be extremely significant considering the two teams’ rivalry and their recent history of close games. Ten of the last 11 matches were decided by one goal or less, and the Blue Devils dropped last year’s contest in a 2-1 heartbreaker, making it four consecutive years since Duke overcame North Carolina.
“It means a lot to us in the ACC standings to get a win, but we are playing for the seniors who have never beaten UNC before,” Finley said.
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