![Christian Walsh [left] and Jordan Wolf [right] comprise a dynamic freshman duo that has combined for 33 goals this season.](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/dtc/551c8c73-a689-431d-8dd2-85af9a195ec2.sized-1000x1000.jpg?w=1000)
It may have been the move that changed Duke’s entire season. With the team off to a slow start after two straight defeats, head coach John Danowski decided to switch freshman Jordan Wolf and Christian Walsh from midfielders to attackers.
“It just seemed on paper to be a better fit [for them to be midfielders],” Danowski said. “But after we lost to Penn 7-3, we decided to get them back into their comfort zone…. The rest is kind of history.”
The two starting attackers helped the Blue Devils (8-3) reel off seven straight victories before they finally lost to Syracuse, the No. 1 team in the nation. As the second and third-leading scorers on the team, both players have been critical to No. 4 Duke’s success.
Walsh, at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, is the bigger of the two players. From Baltimore, Md., Walsh has scored 13 goals this season and assisted on seven more. At this point in the year, though, the freshman believes there’s still much room for him to improve.
“I don’t know if it has clicked.” Walsh said. “I’m still waiting for that moment. I’ve had a couple good games, but also a few really bad games that I haven’t been satisfied [with].”
Wolf, at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, has accumulated 20 goals and 12 assists. Hailing from Wynnewood, Pa., he is currently leading the team in assists and ranks second in goals scored. The freshman made his impact felt in the first game he ever started, scoring the winning goal in overtime against ACC rival, and No. 7 team in the nation, Maryland.
“I attribute everything to my coaches and teammates,” Wolf said. “They’ve helped me out along the way. I’ve been fortunate to be at the right spot at the right time.”
This upcoming Saturday, the freshmen and their teammates travel to Bethpage, N.Y., to face No. 10 Denver (7-2) in a neutral field contest. The Pioneers average 13.11 goals per game, the second-best scoring offense in the nation.
Denver has two of the top six players in the nation in terms of points per game, as well as the third-best goal scorer in the country, 6-foot-4 junior Mark Matthews. The Blue Devils will have a tough game as they look to rebound from their 13-11 loss against Syracuse last weekend.
“We were very disappointed about our overall approach to the [Syracuse] game.” Danowski said. “Denver is an excellent team, and this is a big game in the national picture.”
With only four more regular season games left, the Blue Devils will try to build momentum before the ACC Tournament, held on the weekend of April 22-24. Duke finishes the season against Presbyterian and Jacksonville, as well as a final ACC match against No. 9 Virginia.
The Blue Devils hope that the two freshmen will continue to have a great impact on the team’s success, as Duke goes down its final homestretch.
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