Parents of lacrosse players are known for being exceptionally supportive of the game.
But this Easter weekend was something special, even for this dedicated group. Many couples flew into Durham from all over the country to see Duke take on Notre Dame and Michigan State. Few left disappointed, as the Blue Devils defeated the 12th-ranked Fighting Irish 13-7 and the Spartans 14-7. Duke is now 8-3 on the year.
"It's a thrill to see them play," said Scott McCulloch, whose son Seth is a senior attackman for Duke. The elder McCulloch had flown in from New Mexico to see his son play. "It was definitely worth the 2,000 miles," he said.
Friday's contest was enough to make the long trips worthwhile. The Blue Devils battled previously-undefeated Notre Dame for a much-needed win. Everybody got in on the action.
First the offense took control, as goals by tri-captain Jim Mannino and attackman Ken Fasanaro gave Duke an early 2-0 lead.
Then it was the defense's turn, as goalkeeper Carter Hertzberg came up with four big saves before the Irish scored two straight within in a minute to knot the score at two.
Chris Affolter followed the brief Irish run with a rare goal for the Duke defense, but attackman and leading scorer Randy Collie again returned the favor for Notre Dame. The first stanza ended with 3-3 tie.
The second period saw the Blue Devils come out unusually sluggish as the Irish offense controlled the first three minutes.
It wasn't until the 9:16 mark of the quarter that the Blue Devils again found the net. Fasanaro notched his second goal of the day off an assist from midfielder Ross Moscatelli. Two minutes later, it was Moscatelli's turn for glory as he isolated one on one to beat Irish goalie Chris Parent and give Duke a two goal lead.
The Irish would score once more but sophomore attackman Scott Harrison neutralized the damage, scoring off a fast break assist from midfielder Matt Ogelsby to put Duke up 6-4 after a solid -- and balanced -- first half.
"Our attack's coming together and our defense is coming together," said Fasanaro, who would finish the game with a team-leading four goals. "If one part drops off, the other parts are going to pick up, which is what helps us."
But in the second half, it was Fasanaro and the Duke attack who took over the game. Fasanaro opened the scoring early as he shoveled in a loose ball in front of the Notre Dame net, setting off a 3-0 Blue Devil run from which the Irish would never recover.
The final period was academic. The Irish hung tough early behind a strong four-save performance by Parent but Fasanaro finally found the cage and again set off a Blue Devil run, this one lasting until the final whistle.
"That was a must win for us and we went and got it, " head coach Mike Pressler said. "If we had shot better, I think the score would've been even worse -- we had 55 shots and only 13 goals. Our seniors really stepped up. Overall, we were really pleased."
The outcome of Sunday's game against Michigan State was never in doubt. Duke opened the game with a 4-0 first quarter to immediately put to rest any hopes of a Spartan upset, then cruised through the second period with goals by Moscatelli, Clayton, Fasanaro and Harrison.
Michigan State would only post three goals to Duke's eight during the first 30 minutes, and their frustration was evident in the huddle, where thirty-some Spartan players stood almost bewildered as their coach ranted and raved to no avail. It was evident in each one of their shots that somehow always seemed to find the fat end of Hertzberg's waiting stick. And it was evident in their fouls, as one was slapped with an unusual unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Such frustration was nowhere to be found on Duke's side of the field. The goals were coming almost at will during the first half. The defense was coming up with every clear. The normally-outspoken Pressler was subdued and reserved during the timeouts.
Even the parents -- always quick to point out an erring referee -- were in good humor and the unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Spartans prompted the jibe from the stands, "Hey, if it wasn't Easter Sunday, it'd be O.K."
The third quarter was more of the same, and again the Blue Devils cruised straight through, not allowing a single Spartan goal.
The final stanza, then, was a chance for the seldom-used reserves to test the waters with some hard-earned playing time. Freshman attackman John Antonini was the first on the board, scoring off a Moscatelli assist only 41 seconds into the quarter.
Then it was back to the regulars, as Harrison won the ensuing face off and took the ball all the way to the goal for his team-leading third goal on the day. After a mistakes led to a few Spartan goals, Moscatelli rifled a shot into the upper left hand corner of the net to finish off the Blue Devil scoring for the day.
"We were a little slack, and we struggled a little bit," Pressler said. "But we got everybody a chance to play, which is key for us -- we don't get a chance to do that too often."
Saturday, the Blue Devils will face rival North Carolina, the nation's top ranked team. After that, it's on to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, where a first-round matchup with the Tar Heels also seems to be lurking.
One victory would give Duke a ticket to the postseason. Two losses could mean an early vacation.
"We're 8-3, we feel pretty good about ourselves right now and we're playing pretty good lacrosse," Pressler said.
"We're getting better and better. Our younger kids are getting better. I'm still upset with some of the rookie mistakes, but we're well on are way.
"We can control our own fate. It's in our own hands. We've just got to take care of business."
Next Saturday, they get their chance to do just that.
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