They say that all good things come to an end, and sometimes the end isn’t exactly what you hoped for.
The No. 6 Blue Devils (13-4) lost to North Carolina in the ACC semifinals April 22, but this Friday they hoped to keep their loss total at three when they took on Penn in Philadelphia, and put themselves in a strong position to earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the No. 9 Quakers (10-3) proved too much for Duke, coming away with a 13-10 victory at Drexel University’s Vidas Field.
Duke went back-and-forth early on with their Ivy League opponents, alternating scores for the first 22 minutes before allowing Penn to go on a 7-2 run that lasted into the second half.
The Blue Devils attempted a comeback but a five-goal deficit proved too great. Coupled with the loss to North Carolina, this marks the first time since March 2008 that the team has lost back-to-back games.
Redshirt junior Emma Hamm led the Blue Devils with four goals and one assist, solidifying her position as the team’s leading scorer with 45 goals.
Senior Christie Kaestner earned her way into the Duke record books in the contest, tallying three assists to become just the second player in Duke history to record 40 or more assists in a season.
The Penn offense tied its season high with 13 goals, which represented an uncharacteristic lapse for a Duke defense that hadn’t allowed that many goals since its matchup with then-No. 1 Maryland Feb. 26.
Selection will be announced on Sunday for the 2011 NCAA Tournament, and perhaps there the Blue Devils can achieve a more fitting end to their achievements this season.
— from staff reports
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