Duke, Denver, Dallas and Defeat.
The Blue Devils faced the Pioneers on their first trip to Dallas, Texas. But what had the potential to be a back-and-forth match-up quickly turned into a 13-6 blowout.
No. 8 Duke ended the first quarter trailing by just one, and allowed only a single Denver goal in the second period. However, an eight-point Pioneer run out of the break quickly stifled hopes of a second-half resurgence.
Facing a double hat trick from senior Noah Manning, the Blue Devil defense struggled to slow the momentum. By the time Jack Pappendick broke through Denver’s defense in the final quarter, the damage was done; Duke returned to Durham with a damaging non-conference loss.
The Blue Devils (8-2) went scoreless for 42:03 during the middle of the game, including no goals in the second and third quarters. Denver added nine to the scoreboard in the meantime, but that was not the first one-sided performance by the Pioneers (5-4).
The two sides exchanged opening goals after sophomore Benn Johnston marked the first point on the scoreboard. Blue Devil of the Week Eric Malever’s shot to put Duke ahead 2-1 was a brief lead that was quickly answered, and Denver then pushed a 3-0 spurt.
With three seconds remaining in the opening quarter, Malever snuck in a shot to break the streak. But halfway into the second period, Manning scored his second goal of the game and the sole goal before halftime — a preview of his dominance.
The teams returned to the locker room with the Pioneers holding onto a 5-3 lead — a small enough margin for the Blue Devils to have regrouped. The team had been in this situation before, trailing at halftime against No. 14 Penn and No. 19 Michigan earlier this season only to turn things around for a comeback victory. Unfortunately for Duke, Denver’s offensive streak in the third quarter proved too much to overcome.
The Pioneers dominated the third quarter, continuing to break through the defense shell to launch an offensive onslaught. The Blue Devils failed to gain momentum on either end, held to only seven shots as they attempted to close the gap. The issue was not just launching the ball, but attaining it. While it led in overall ground balls and faceoffs, Duke trailed in the third quarter’s stat sheet.
Denver capitalized on these opportunities to secure four unanswered goals in just over 10 minutes, ultimately stretching its lead beyond reach as the scoreboard hit 9-3.
In the final quarter, the Blue Devils found themselves even more limited with the ball in their possession. Going 2-for-5 in clears, Denver's defense stifled the Blue Devils’ final attempts to get ahead.
Duke’s offense delivered a hesitant performance in the game compared to its opponent. While the Pioneers used momentum to push the pace and generate shots, the Blue Devils took a patient approach, passing along the exterior. This strategy ultimately came to fault the team, leading to rushed attempts in the final seconds on the shot clock as the ball failed to strike through Denver goalie Malcolm Kleban.
However, while the team struggled in transition, Duke junior Luke Engelke continued to give Duke as many opportunities to attain the ball. Engelke won 16-of-21 faceoffs and picked up nine ground balls, one away from his career-high.
In the final quarter, Engelke went 6-for-7 in faceoffs, returning from a 2-of-5 showing in the third. These extra opportunities opened the chance for Duke to get on the board with just 3:00 minutes remaining in the game.
Pappendick began the streak, followed by additional shots from senior Liam McLane and junior Petey Malitas. The Blue Devils were able to tighten the lead, but the 3-0 run Denver committed in the opening quarter, and its explosive 9-0 streak were too overwhelming.
Duke next travels to South Bend, Ind., to face arguably its hardest challenge yet against a No. 7 Notre Dame team.
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