The Blue Devils opened the spring in style with strong scrimmages against William & Mary and Coastal Carolina.
Head coach Kerstin Kimel’s squad started the season at home in Koskinen Stadium with a double-header and no official score, but plenty of energy. Duke’s young team—featuring 12 freshmen and without six starters from last year's Final Four squad—showed some growing pains to start, but the inexperience seemed to wear off after the first half against William & Mary.
Against the Tribe and preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association defender Abby Junior, the Blue Devils played a tight defensive affair. Duke conceded the first goal to the William & Mary attack and freshman Eloise Gagnon, but Blue Devil freshman Olivia Jenner’s goal with just 30 seconds remaining in the first half that appeared to ignite the team on both ends of the field.
After the break, it was all Duke. Without conceding another goal, the Blue Devils scored from all over the offensive half, as Jenner and fellow freshman Ellie Majure teamed with junior Kitty Morrissey to put on a clinic. A decorated addition to Duke’s lineup, Majure appeared poised and tough, absorbing contact from defenders and scoring off of alley dodges and finding the ball between defenders on the edge of the crease. Morrissey was the top point scorer for the Blue Devils on the afternoon with three goals against the Tribe.
Duke controlled the draw in the second half, at one point holding four consecutive possessions that all led to goals while locking down William and Mary. Senior goalkeeper Kelsey Duryea shook off two early goals to make fearless saves and accurate outlet passes.
The offensive output lost some of its luster in the second game of the afternoon against Coastal Carolina in a close, defensive affair. The emphasis throughout the match against the Chanticleers appeared to be on rotating in the bench players from the opener against William & Mary, including substituting freshman goalkeeper Jamie Lockwood in for Duryea.
Goals for the Blue Devils came less off of sheer speed on the break and more on patience in the offensive set and capitalizing on fouls. Duke scored off of quick stick shots from restarts and passes from goal line extended, but Coastal Carolina kept things close to the end. The Chanticleers had success rolling around the crease and wrapping the ball past Lockwood.
The battle against the Chanticleers was decided in the midfield, where turnovers were common for both teams, leading to prolonged fights for loose balls pushed to the sidelines. Freshman Michelle Staggers excelled in both games, finding enough space to clear the ball up to the attacking half from midfield.
With no official score, the Blue Devils were neither winners nor losers Saturday, but unofficially won both games by a tally of 12-2 against William and Mary and 7-5 against Coastal Carolina. Duke opens the regular season at Koskinen Stadium against Campbell Thursday.
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