Many teams do not have the depth to compete when their top three scorers are held to a total of zero points. That is exactly what happened to Duke Friday night, but the Blue Devils’ depth more than made up for the fact that Kaitlyn Kerr, Kelly Cobb and Laura Weinberg were held scoreless. Duke displayed its strength in numbers, as sophomores Kim DeCesare and Gilda Doria netted a goal apiece to put the Blue Devils in their first NCAA Tournament semifinal since 1992.
“We’ve had some huge goals from players that come off the bench all year long,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said. “Kimmy [DeCesare]—you’ve got to call her a super-sub. When you put her in something usually happens. When you’re making a run like this, you have to have [many scoring threats] because they’re covering up on [the top scorers].”
Long Beach State utilized two defensive midfielders in a 4-5-1 formation to neutralize Kerr, who had previously scored in each round of the tournament. The formation also negated the effectiveness of Duke’s Nicole Lipp, as the crowded midfield meant her passing game was constantly challenged. Lipp was removed from the game because her defensive skills were not needed against the 49ers’ lone striker. Even with Lipp on the bench for a third of the game, Long Beach State attempted just three shots, none of which were on goal.
DeCesare, who replaced Lipp, is the tallest outfield player on the team at 5-foot-10. Her stature and powerful runs into the box gave fellow sophomore Mollie Pathman an easy target in the middle. Pathman had difficulty beating Long Beach State’s right back in the first half, but her tireless running paid off in the second period.
“Some of her services were unbelievable.... She can serve on a dime,” Church said. “[Long Beach State’s right back] was one of their better players and Mollie just turned her around a couple of times.”
In the 66th minute, she took the ball down the left wing, left her defender on the grass with a fake, and picked out an oncoming attacker. DeCesare headed the ball into the net, registering the first goal that the 49ers had conceded since October.
“When we inserted [DeCesare] in the second half we started winning balls off of their goal kicks, off of their punts. We started winning second balls too,” Church said. “And obviously she got to the back post and scored a huge goal for us.”
The performance of this tandem may be vital if Duke is to go any further in the tournament. DeCesare and Pathman can provide an extra dimension if opponents counter the dangerous Blue Devil offense with unusual formations. Wake Forest, Duke’s next opponent, effectively changed formations when it defeated the Blue Devils in the semifinal of the ACC tournament, and may choose to do the same this weekend in the national semifinal.
Doria, who capped the win with a great goal from the edge of the penalty area, also becomes a player other teams cannot leave out of their tactical plan. Her first career goal sends a message that she is another weapon in the Duke midfield that cannot be taken lightly.
If DeCesare and Doria remain threats to score, the Blue Devils have an edge on any team remaining in the tournament.
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