Each week, we’ll recap how each of Duke’s sports currently in competition performed over the last week, and give a brief look ahead. We continue with the week of Nov. 2.
Football
It was a rough weekend to be a Duke football fan. North Carolina throttled the Blue Devils (2-6, 1-6 in the ACC) 56-24 in Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday afternoon, and the Tar Heels made sure to remind Duke who had the Victory Bell after every score. Quarterback Sam Howell struck first for North Carolina, tossing a touchdown on fourth-and-goal on the game’s opening drive, and the Blue Devils were never able to recover. Duke running back Mataeo Durant was the only positive, with his 132 yards on the ground largely responsible for the points the Blue Devils did get on the board. Head coach David Cutcliffe and company have another bye this week before taking on Wake Forest at home Nov. 21. -Jake Piazza
Men’s soccer
Duke (2-5, 2-4) lost its final regular season contest to No. 4 North Carolina Friday night. It was a close fight throughout the first half, but just 10 minutes into the second period, the Tar Heels took the lead and Duke could never catch up, eventually falling 2-0. The Blue Devils finished the regular season below expectations but will still compete in the ACC tournament, where they will meet top-ranked Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals this coming Sunday. -Alex Jackson
Field hockey
Duke (2-7, 1-4) concluded its fall season with a heartbreaking loss to Syracuse in the ACC tournament quarterfinals Thursday night. The sixth-seeded Blue Devils shot out to a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the contest via goals from freshmen Alayna Burns and Darcy Bourne, but were held scoreless for the remainder of regulation as the third-seeded Orange tied the contest and sent it into overtime. Three minutes into the extra period, Syracuse sophomore Laura Graziosi sent Duke packing with her second goal of the game. The Blue Devils will look forward to an abbreviated season and NCAA tournament in the spring. -Evan Kolin
Swimming and diving
The Blue Devils opened their season at home against Virginia Tech Saturday. Freshman Sarah Foley led the team with three individual wins, achieving top-five program times for all three of the events she won: the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard IM. Duke wasn’t able to secure victory in the team competition, however, with the men falling by a score of 120.5-171.5 and the women’s team achieving its first tie in program history at 150-150. The Blue Devils will take on Navy on the road this coming Saturday for their final meet before winter break. -Rosie Li
Women’s soccer did not compete this past week as the fifth-seeded Blue Devils prepare for the ACC quarterfinals Tuesday against fourth-seeded Clemson.
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Jake Piazza is a Trinity senior and was sports editor of The Chronicle's 117th volume.