The lacrosse team will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament this evening at 6 p.m. in College Park, Md. The key to the game: recent history.
Two weeks ago, the Duke lacrosse team was riding high on the strength of back to back weekend victories over Notre Dame and Michigan State.
But instead of basking in the glow of victory, everyone looked forward to last Saturday's match-up with No. 1 ranked North Carolina and predicted exactly what would be necessary for a Blue Devil upset.
Now, in the wake of Duke's 13-9 loss in that contest, one of those comments -- which came from sophomore midfielder Ross Moscatelli -- stands out as strikingly accurate.
"The key is the attack," said Moscatelli, who, along with fellow midfielders Matt Ogelsby and Mike Clayton, would lead Duke in scoring against the Tar Heels with two goals. "We just have to shoot, shoot a lot, and get 'em on cage."
It seemed so simple, at least in words. But shooting on cage, or on goal, or on net, or whatever colloquialism you use to describe it, was exactly what the Blue Devils could not do -- and exactly why they could not upset the Tar Heels.
It wasn't for a lack of opportunities; the Blue Devils uncorked 41 shots over the game's 60 minutes, just short of Carolina's 46. They certainly shot, and shot a lot.
But they missed a lot as well. Only 23 of Duke's 41 shots came near the goal, the others bounced harmlessly over the endline. UNC goalie Gary Lehrman, who was filling in for injured starter Billy Daye, made only 14 saves the entire game, and still came away allowing a respectable nine goals.
The attack -- which all season long has unexpectedly carried the Duke offense -- was especially absent, as Scott Harrison registered the only tally from the front threesome. On the final exchange of the third quarter, a loose ball bouncing front of the Carolina crease led to three straight Blue Devil shots within 10 seconds. None of them found the goal.
After the game, head coach Mike Pressler bemoaned his team's inaccuracy.
"The first five goals, we shot in the air, and they go in," Pressler said, referring to the stretch in the game's opening period where the Blue Devils scored five times before Lehrman could register a single save. "For whatever reason, we changed the way we we're shooting and that hurt us."
"You don't shoot the ball at a kid's feet if he plays a high crease," he said, explaining in detail Lehrman's playing style. "We're shooting it low, and he's already cutting off the angle. I don't want to belabor that point, but...."
But it's a point worth belaboring. Other than their shooting, the Blue Devils played a solid game. When they did shoot well, the game was close -- after the first quarter stretch to which Pressler referred, the score was tied 5-5. After the game, there was a general consensus among the players that Lehrman couldn't save his own life.
Not much has changed in the six days since the teams last met.
UNC is still the number one team in the nation, though Duke has slipped from ninth to 11th in the latest poll. The Blue Devils are still short on players and ravaged by injuries. The Tar Heels are still the faster deeper, and more experienced team. But Lehrman is still in goal, and just as shaky as he was last Saturday afternoon.
There is no doubt that the Blue Devils will once again need a near-perfect performance to come away victorious and move on to the tournament's final round. But for the most part, Duke gave that performance last week. All that needs improvement is the shots.
"Balls on the net, balls on the net," one fan said to Pressler as he left the field. "You'll get `em next week."
NOTES: Should the Blue Devils defeat North Carolina and advance to the finals, they will face the winner of the Virginia-Maryland game Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Earlier this year the Blue Devils lost to the Cavaliers 14-10 and defeated the Terps 9-5...Virginia and Maryland are scheduled to start at 8 p.m., immediately following Duke and North Carolina...All games will be played in Maryland's Byrd Stadium.
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