The Blue Devils' top two weapons, senior Jack Bruckner and junior Justin Guterding, exploited a leaky Virginia defense for six goals apiece.
The Blue Devils, coming off a strong 11-8 win against then-No. 4 Notre Dame last weekend, appear to be finding their groove at the right moment as they have so often in the past.
After securing its first conference win in nearly a calendar year, No. 20 Duke will travel to Evanston, Ill., to face No. 18 Northwestern Saturday at 4:30 pm at Martin Stadium.
Duke beat Boston College for its first ACC women's lacrosse win of the season on the road.
Perhaps the most important factor in No. 10 Duke’s 11-8 win against No. 4 Notre Dame Saturday was the stalwart defensive effort put forth by the top scoring defense in the ACC.
The Blue Devils’ win against No. 14 Boston College—a team that had won four of its last five contests heading into Saturday’s matchup—could be just enough to get Duke back on track and into the 26-team NCAA tournament.
With a raucous crowd enjoying a physical battle, the Blue Devils took an early 4-1 lead, then scored the last two goals of the third quarter to seize a commanding 10-5 advantage. Bruckner finished with four goals on just seven shots, and senior goalkeeper Danny Fowler and the Duke defense suffocated Notre Dame's star trio all afternoon long.
Saturday's top-10 tilt could have major postseason implications with only five teams in the ACC and both squads just having one more league matchup after they rekindle their rivalry.
With just two regular-season conference games remaining, this year’s Duke team is desperate to avoid suffering the same fate as it did 20 years ago.
Unlike players on most teams, the Blue Devils do not run out exactly when their names are called. In fact, senior attack Hayley Shaffer and junior All-American midfielder Maddie Crutchfield always sprint to the rest of their teammates far after either of their names is introduced over the PA system as part of the starting lineup. The same goes for every player, as the team forms an alley for the athletes to run out in twos together following a choreographed handshake.
Danowski’s 2007 Tewaaraton win that helped Duke quickly move past the cancellation of the 2006 season and catalyzed its rapid ascension to becoming the nation’s premier program.
Despite a slow start, he won 14 of the game's last 15 draws, time and time again setting up the Blue Devil offense with prime scoring opportunities and forcing North Carolina's offense to watch helplessly as its lead evaporated.
Senior attack Devon Parker’s provided the game-winning tally with just more than five minutes left to give the Orange a 10-8 lead, and then they held on after surrendering senior midfielder Stuart Humphrey’s second goal of the game with 1:29 left to leave the Blue Devils wondering what could have been after a fifth straight ACC loss.
In hostile territory against the reigning national champions and their archrival, the inexperienced Blue Devils did not let a potential first-half knockout bury them.
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels both could use a crucial ACC win.
Junior Grace Fallon led Duke with four points on two goals and two assists, with Crutchfield, Catherine Cordrey and Hayley Shaffer each contributing two goals of their own to give the Blue Devils their first win against a ranked opponent since Feb. 18.
The Blue Devils used a 4-0 fourth-quarter spurt to take a 11-9 lead with 6:29 remaining, but the Orange showed their experience by staying calm to pull out a program-record sixth consecutive game decided by one goal.
Duke looked lost to start the game, with sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Lockwood letting up seven goals in the first 7:43 as her team fell behind 7-1 before being benched in favor of freshman Gabbe Cadoux.
After cruising past Jacksonville and Georgetown by a combined 12 goals, No. 11 Duke will face its second top-10 opponent of the season at 1:30 p.m. Saturday when it takes on No. 6 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
