The ACC Tournament begins today—and the Blue Devils will have their work cut out for them right away.
Up first for Duke (10-6-3, 4-5-1 in the ACC) will be No. 4 Maryland (15-2-1, 7-2-1), the second seed in the tournament. Maryland is the favorite in the matchup, coming off three consecutive wins and only two losses and one tie all season. That one tie, however, came against Duke in College Park.
“Maryland is a team we felt like we probably should’ve beaten,” freshman Laura Weinberg said.
In the regular season matchup, Duke got on the board first but couldn’t hold the lead. The defense played well, though, only allowing the one goal. After the offense failed to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in the second half, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
“We’re focused on us now,” freshman Mollie Pathman said. “We’re not worried about them. We know we have what it takes.”
Head coach Robbie Church explained that he is satisfied with the way the team played during the regular season and that the Blue Devils are better than their record indicates. He said the confidence level hasn’t wavered, and he believes that his team is capable of playing with the best in the country.
“Our kids have got a lot of respect for Maryland; they’ve had an unbelievable year,” Church said. “Hats off to them, but we also feel that we can play with anybody in the country.”
Church noted that the Blue Devils had a lot of energy during the first match against the Terrapins and that they must keep the energy high tonight, a sentiment seconded by his team.
“We are definitely ready to get revenge,” Weinberg said. “We finished the ACC very positively, so I think we have a very good mindset going into the tournament.”
Duke will have the added advantage of playing tonight’s matchup in Cary, N.C.—a much more familiar atmosphere than College Park.
Last season, Duke had the eighth seed and fell in the first round of the tournament to Florida State. The Blue Devils, however, had seven of their starters missing due to injuries.
This year’s team is at full strength for the tournament. And the players relish the chance at retribution.
“We’re healthy, we’re hungry, we’re rested and we’re really looking forward to the tournament,” Church said.
NOTES: Freshmen Mollie Pathman and Laura Weinberg were both named second-team All-ACC yesterday. Weinberg, Pathman and teammate Kaitlyn Kerr were also recognized as All-ACC freshmen.
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