With a 1-1 tie against then-No. 8 Maryland Sunday, Duke proved it could compete with the ACC’s best.
And at a good time—Sunday’s match against No. 14 Florida State is the second of eight consecutive conference games prior to the ACC Tournament.
“The Maryland game was a turning point for us with a tie and a good chance to win,” head coach Robbie Church said. “We aren’t giving up many goals and our midfielders, defenders and goalkeeper have done a great job. We’re a good defensive team.”
Against Maryland, Duke controlled the ball for most of the game, only allowing one goal in the 75th minute of play. The team did well on the attack, tallying 14 shots against the Terrapins, and created chances with its good ball movement.
Church did, however, state his concern about the Blue Devils’ play in front of the net, as well as the offense’s inability to finish at the goal.
“We need to be more composed in front of goals and have a better final ball,” he said.
The crucial match versus Maryland woke the team up to how rigorous ACC play is. Many of the young Blue Devils (6-2-3, 0-1-1 in the ACC) are getting used to the adjustment of the tougher competition.
“We go into each [ACC] game with the mindset that every game is going to be a battle,” freshman Laura Weinberg, who leads the team with five goals, said. “The season is short and therefore we cannot take any game for granted or waste our opportunities.”
The freshmen have been able to have an immediate impact on the team. Mollie Pathman, Kaitlynn Kerr and redshirt-freshman Callie Simpkins have each contributed three goals this season. Along with Weinberg, the newcomers have quickly become leaders on the team.
“The freshmen are good players and have a good mentality with a lot thrown at them both in training and in competition,” Church said. “They have been able to hold their own and add a lot to the team. I am very impressed with them.”
Looking forward to the match against the Seminoles (7-2-0, 1-0-0), Church is expecting his team to be focused and play a full 90 minutes, noting that many of the ACC matches this season have been determined by one goal.
“The tactics of each game are different but if you take five minutes off you can get beat,” he said. “We have to be plugged in and have a strong mentality.”
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