Unbeaten in its previous five games, Duke is looking to continue a recent streak of success in its promising season.
The Blue Devils (5-4-1) will travel to Davidson (4-4-1) tonight for a 7 p.m. match. Although Duke may have been overlooked as a serious ACC contender after starting the season 1-4, its improved play, including a 2-2 tie against No. 5 North Carolina, has changed that.
“To get a result like we did against UNC raised our confidence and confirmed what we have been doing in practice and in previous games,” head coach John Kerr said. “We go in a little more self-assured.”
Nonetheless, the Blue Devils are careful not to be overconfident, remembering a 4-1 loss to the Wildcats two seasons ago.
“We are not taking Davidson for granted,” Kerr said. “They play very well together as a team. They are hard to break down and are very organized. We know they have a lot of strength. We are anticipating a really tough match.”
Duke is looking to tighten up its defense in hopes of stopping a team known for its quick counterattacks. On offense, the Blue Devils will be relying on junior Andrew Wenger and freshman Nick Palodichuk, both of whom have received national attention this past week. Palodichuk is currently tied for first nationally among freshman in goals and points.
Duke would also like to see more help from the midfielders, looking to get Johnny Aguirre and Andrew Morales more involved in the attack.
Davidson, after having lost a rough match to Wake Forest, is counting on its senior experience. Despite a solid start to the season, the Wildcats have been unable to capture a string of wins recently. Junior Brian Mcgue leads Davidson’s attack, with both three goals and three assists.
Defensively, the Wildcats have a stronghold of seniors, including goalkeeper Chip Sanders, that were able to keep Wake Forest scoreless for the entire first half of their previous game.
For the Blue Devils, another win on the road is exactly what they need as they prepare for their four remaining conference games. And after such a poor start, they cannot afford to take any steps backward, even in a nonconference matchup.
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