For the first time in recent memory, Duke’s goalkeeper situation remains unsettled at the start of the season.
All-ACC goalkeeper Mollie Mackler started the trend in 2011 during her junior season and continued into 2012, and then she was seamlessly succeeded by All-American Kelsey Duryea between the pipes for four straight years following Mackler’s graduation. But now, with Duryea’s eligibility up, there is a two-way battle for the position between sophomore Jamie Lockwood and highly touted freshman Gabbe Cadoux, who—like both Mackler and Duryea—wears No. 25 for the Blue Devils.
So far, it seems like Lockwood has secured the starting job. Through the first four games—including a win against then-No. 12 Stanford—Lockwood has received the lion’s share of opportunities in net, spending all but 20:11 between the pipes.
The Richmond, Va., native has not disappointed either, surrendering only 7.9 goals per game with a .500 save percentage, and her 29 saves on the season rank 13th in the nation. Lockwood has been at her best the last few games, notching a career-high nine saves against Navy then matching that total against the Cardinal.
“Jamie has fire under her belly, and she brings a noise,” senior defender Maura Schwitter said. “She’s definitely stepping up like she should be. We’re really impressed with how she’s playing back there.”
Despite Lockwood’s strong start, Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel has been hesitant to officially appoint her as the starting netminder, especially as the Blue Devils enter the gauntlet of their schedule—half of their regular-season opponents currently rank in the top 20, including No. 1 North Carolina and No. 5 Syracuse.
Kimel acknowledged that if Lockwood slips up, she may be on a short leash, especially with Cadoux right on her heels.
“We have to evaluate week to week where we are and who we are playing and how people are performing in practice,” Kimel said. “We’ll hold our goalkeepers to the same standard as we do for everyone else.”
Cadoux’s situation as the current backup may be in part due to circumstances beyond her control. With the regular season approaching, she caught an illness, and as a result was not available both in practice prior to the season opener Jan. 29 against Drexel or for the contest itself.
Considering the repetitions needed when transitioning from high school opponents to college talent, the rookie goalkeeper missed invaluable practice time that could have helped her step into Duryea’s shoes from the start of the season.
Lockwood’s play has made it even harder for Cadoux to get meaningful playing time, and Lockwood herself has been pleased with her early-season efforts.
“Last year, I was on the sidelines. I’ve stepped up, and I’m here and I think that I’m doing exactly what the team needs,” she said.
Regardless of who is guarding the net, the goalkeeper’s role will differ greatly from Mackler’s and Duryea’s due to the introduction of a 90-second shot clock this season. The shot clock starts as soon as the attacking team secures possession, which is often 80 yards away from the desired net after a clean save.
Without the shot clock, Duke’s former star netminders had the luxury of holding the ball for minutes at a time, patiently waiting for teammates to find an open patch of grass. But now with a battle against the clock, Lockwood and Cadoux have to quickly clear the ball to give the Blue Devils an offensive chance.
Although Lockwood has been rock-solid facing opposing shot attempts, she has struggled at times to communicate with the rest of her defensive unit to clear the ball. Against the Midshipmen Feb. 12, Duke failed on its first two clears, allowing Navy to score twice early in the contest.
As the season progresses, both goalkeepers should improve at dealing with the shot clock. Regardless of the circumstances, though, Kimel still has high hopes for her defensive unit.
“I think we’re capable of holding every team to under 10 goals,” she said.
Nonetheless, if or when either Lockwood or Cadoux locks down the starting position, they should have confidence knowing that they have complete support from their teammate on the sidelines.
“Our goalies push each other a lot in practice,” Schwitter said. “They compete with each other, but they also pump each other up and support each other more than anyone fighting for the same position that I’ve ever seen.”
Ben Feder contributed reporting.
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