After defeating then-No. 9 UCLA in early September, the Blue Devils seemed poised to spring a few more upsets and challenge some of the toughest opponents on their schedule.
But heading into its penultimate conference game of the regular season, Duke is still searching for its second win against a ranked opponent.
The Blue Devils will have a chance to do just that when they host No. 4 Notre Dame Friday at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium. Duke sits 10th in the ACC heading into the matchup against the Fighting Irish and will have to win its final two ACC games to have any chance of hosting a first-round game in the conference tournament.
A thrilling win 2-1 against N.C. State on Sept. 30 appeared to be what the Blue Devils needed to turn their season around after a slow start in conference play. But the Blue Devils failed to score more than a goal in three consecutive losses to Davidson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina to open October. Duke snapped its nearly three-week skid Tuesday against Campbell when it scored multiple goals in the first half and came away with a much-needed 3-2 victory.
Despite his team controlling the game, Blue Devil head coach John Kerr pointed out that his team must compete better on the other end of the field in order to battle tougher opponents.
“We were a little sloppy at times, defensively,” Kerr said after his team allowed seven shots in the victory.
Duke (5-6-2, 1-4-1 in the ACC) will hope its momentum from the game against the Camels can carry over to its contest against a Notre Dame team that enters the matchup on a two-game losing streak. After losing just one game in a nearly two-month span, the Fighting Irish (10-3-1, 3-2-1) have dropped games against then-No. 21 Virginia and Northwestern in the last week. In each of the losses, Notre Dame has struggled to rebound after letting its opponent get off to fast start and the Blue Devils will look to get on the board early to put the pressure back on the Fighting Irish.
Freshman Suniel Veerakone and junior Brian White will likely play a role in any of Duke’s scoring opportunities as the duo has combined for seven goals and nine assists this season. But the play of forward Cameron Moseley has carried the Blue Devils of late as the junior has netted goals in three consecutive games. Moseley now has a team-leading five goals on the year, despite starting in just three games this season.
Although Kerr made it clear that his team will not face an easy task Friday against a stout Fighting Irish defense, he stressed the importance of Duke making the most of its opportunities.
“We’ve got to do better when we have possession,” Kerr said. “We have to make sure that we are conscious of what we are doing on the ball.”
The Blue Devil offensive attack will also have its work cut out against one of the best goalies in the country.
Notre Dame goalkeeper Chris Hubbard entered the week with a .863 save percentage—eighth-best in the country. The senior has recorded seven shutouts and allowed only nine goals all season. A defense that surrenders only 10.1 shots per game also makes sure that the team’s goalie does not have to make too many tough saves.
After his team took on the challenge of playing talented conference opponents all season, Kerr does not expect to see his team back down Friday.
“North Carolina only let in six goals this season, and we played them last week and we scored,” Kerr said. “We’re creating a lot of chances, but we’ve got to convert them. And if we can convert at a higher ratio, we’ll be in good shape.”
Even if Duke is able to create scoring chances Friday, the Blue Devils will have their hands full on the other end of the field with Notre Dame forward Jon Gallagher. The junior was named a third-team All-ACC performer last season and has had an even better year this time around.
Gallagher leads the conference in goals and his team in points and assists this season. In his last two games, the forward has led all players in shots despite being held scoreless in both contests. He will look to get back on the scoresheet against a Duke defense that has been inconsistent in recent weeks.
With the season coming to an end, the Blue Devils are looking to continue improving as a unit with the ACC tournament still ahead of them. A strong performance against Notre Dame will give Duke a chance to do just that with only two games left on its regular season docket.
Cole Winton contributed reporting.
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