A season ago, Duke entered its matchup against Loyola in the first round of the NCAA tournament hoping that a victory against the Greyhounds could kickstart a deep run.
But just 60 minutes later, the Blue Devils left the field in defeat with the careers of senior stars Deemer Class and Myles Jones coming to a close.
Although Duke has a chance to exact a measure of revenge when Loyola comes to Durham Saturday, the Blue Devils are more focused on putting the past behind them and continuing to grow as a team.
No. 18 Duke will look to win a second consecutive game against a ranked opponent when it takes on the 12th-ranked Greyhounds at noon at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils are coming off a tight 9-8 victory against then-No. 12 Richmond in which they caught fire with a 7-1 run in the second half against one of the nation's top scoring defenses.
“That was our first game in March, so you’re hoping that represents some great character,” Duke head coach John Danowski said. “The guys hung in there and fought and didn’t give up. They played the second half with a lot more passion than they did in the second half.”
With an inexperienced midfield, senior Jack Bruckner and junior Justin Guterding have injected life into an offense that exhibited some growing pains early in the season. The duo carried the Blue Devils (4-2) against the Spiders, scoring six goals and notching four assists to help spur Duke's late run. The Blue Devils' ability to keep possession away from Richmond in the second half was also a big reason Duke clawed back into the game and came away with a much-needed win.
But the Blue Devil defense will be tested in a big way against Loyola (3-2) when it matches up with one of the best players in the nation in Pat Spencer—who torched Duke a year ago with three goals and five assists.
The sophomore enters the game with a 5.2 career points per game average that is the best among current players, as only one other player has breached the plateau of 5.0 points per game. Spencer has been the key cog for a well-oiled Loyola offense that ranks seventh in the nation in goals per contest.
At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, the attackman boasts a combination of size and speed that makes life miserable for opposing defenses. Although Spencer made a statement on the tournament stage a year ago with his performance against Duke, the Davidsonville, Md., native has continued to improve this season.
“They’re great, especially with their ability to score goals,” Danowski said. “They have the best player in the country in Spencer. He is phenomenal. What a talent. He’s the best attack man that I’ve seen in 10 years. He is poised, he is skilled, he can shoot it with either hand, he feeds it, he puts the ball in people’s sticks—he’s the real deal.”
Although the Greyhound offense has been the team's calling card this season, Loyola has been turnover-prone, coughing up the ball 14.4 times per game. The Blue Devil defense took its play to another level late against Richmond and will need to sustain its intensity for a full 60 minutes to account for Spencer and senior midfielders Brian Sherlock and Romar Dennis.
Danowksi said the face-off battle will also be a key to stopping Loyola's offense. Led by senior midfielder Kyle Rowe, Duke has won 55 percent of its face-offs this season. If Rowe and company can control possession by winning more face-offs and recovering ground balls Saturday, the Blue Devils will be able to limit Loyola's opportunities to attack the goal.
“All their guys can kill you,” Danowski said. "It’s not just one. It starts with the face-offs. If you can win the face-offs and have good wing play, you can lessen your opponents’ opportunities. Then you’ve got to shoot smart and have good possessions on offense. That also limits the other team in terms of the number of possessions they get.….that helps you defensively.”
With just two more games after Saturday's contest before its conference opener, Duke knows protecting its home turf and notching a big victory could help the young team continue to build momentum.
Although the last time the teams took the field together had more on the line, the Blue Devils know that a second consecutive win against a ranked opponent could jumpstart another strong season.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.