CHAPEL HILL -- Sometimes it isn't pretty.
Sometimes it's a little too close for comfort.
But let's face it folks, a win is a win.
And that was what women's soccer head coach Bill Hempen was thinking after his team walked off Fetzer Field with a 3-2 victory over Central Florida Sunday.
The second-ranked Blue Devils (4-1) lost their first game of the year 2-0 against Washington on Saturday.
The weekend's contests were part of the Hardee's Carolina Classic hosted by The University of North Carolina.
Against Washington, Duke simply played without emotion.
"They outplayed us," midfielder Kelly Walbert said. "They were the better team on Saturday."
Forward Katherine Remy added: "It was a big wake-up call."
In the first half of the Central Florida game, play was very physical and the referee wasn't calling much. Hempen argued with the official about not using his whistle, and ended up with a yellow card.
"It was for the protection of my players," Hempen said. "It's one thing to play the advantage, and it's another to play the advantage when people are getting hurt."
Walbert, who scored a goal and added an assist against UCF, also felt the linesman was tentative to make a call.
"The linesman was pretty gutless," Walbert said.
Remy, the tournament MVP for Duke, reiterated Hempen's concern about the physical nature of the game.
"We were getting nailed and the referee wasn't calling it," she said. "Bill [Hempen] went crazy."
Besides the rough stuff, Duke controlled the ball well in the first half. The passing was tactful and the women made it look easy.
They appeared as laid-back as a Duke student walking to a class that won't start for another 45 minutes. And that's basically how the scoring went -- it really didn't start for another 45 minutes, or until the second half.
So if you had trouble finding the game and got there a little late, you didn't miss much.
Of course, you did miss the Central Florida faithful berating the referee as well as players from both teams. But understand, besides the spurts of controlled soccer, you missed a world-class wrestling match.
The only points that made the first half anything but a wild kickball game were a goal by Remy at 5:16 on an assist from Walbert, Hempen's yellow card and the occasionally forceful Blue Devil attack.
The second half was a different game altogether. This was a wide-open half, an offense-oriented 45 minutes. Both teams took chances, both teams took shots, both teams got burned on defense.
This was the game Hempen expected. It was up-tempo and attack-oriented.
Walbert opened the scoring in the second half with a penalty shot at 56:07 that beat Central Florida netminder Heather Brann to her left side.
"Jen Lewis took [penalty shots] last year, and I had missed my first one this year," Walbert said. "I wanted to take this shot and prove something to myself."
With Duke up 2-0, the game looked under control.
But a little more than three minutes later, Stephanie Gringer headed the ball past Blue Devil goalie Melissa Carr to close the gap to 2-1.
Then for nearly 10 minutes, all hell broke loose.
Corner kicks, direct kicks, shots off the post, yellow cards -- you name it.
Then at 69:38, Cara Lyons took a corner kick for Duke. The 5-4 Walbert outjumped the defender and headed the ball on goal.
Two more Blue Devils attacked the net and kept the keeper from getting a good hand on the ball. Mandy Lehr picked up the rebound and calmly placed the ball in the back of the net for a 3-1 lead.
It was plays like these and efforts like Walbert's that earned Duke the win. Plays and efforts that were non-existent in the Washington game.
To make the game interesting again, Julia Ames scored at 83:47 for Central Florida.
But Duke walked away with a 3-2 victory and renewed faith in its own capabilities.
"We know we can play, but we can't think we're going to win just because we're Duke," Walbert said.
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