Memories of what could have been still linger for members of the women's golf team.
Just a year ago, the team suffered through a disappointing third-place finish in the ACC tournament. A costly scorecard error forced the Blue Devils to forfeit 11 strokes--strokes which proved to be the difference in the four-team event.
But this year, Duke hopes to cast aside the bad memories of a year ago and reclaim the glory of the ACC championship.
"I think we were better than the other teams in the ACC last year, and we really should have won [the ACC championship]," senior Pam Soliman said. "But we've put last year behind us, and we need to get on with this year."
It was Soliman's scorecard error that cost the Blue Devils so dearly in 1994.
She inadvertently signed a scorecard with an incorrect hole score. That mistake forced the Blue Devils to drop back by 11 more strokes entering the final round.
"It was one of those mistakes that you don't want to happen to anyone," head coach Dan Brooks said at the time.
For Brooks and company, even a gritty third-round effort proved to be too little, too late for the Blue Devils to overcome Soliman's blunder.
"As a team we're really focused, and we want to win the ACCs, especially after last year," Soliman said. "I felt like it was my fault, but other players didn't play as well as we'd liked. So, it was a combination. But, I think, my mistake ended up costing us more."
Wake Forest capitalized on the stroke penalty and won the 1994 ACC tournament, ending Duke's chances at a possible repeat of the conference championship. Making the situation even more bittersweet, the Blue Devils had returned all five starters from their 1993 ACC championship team.
So as the Blue Devils prepare for this year's ACC tournament, they hope to put an end to the memories of last year.
With Soliman playing the best golf of her career and with the return of defending ACC individual champion Kathi Poppmeier, this Duke team is aiming high once again.
"We ought to win, if we play well," Soliman said. "Wake Forest is probably the best team in the ACC, aside from us. But we've played better than them in the last couple of tournaments."
The Blue Devils are in the midst of a hot streak right now. They've finished their last two tournaments as either runners-up or champions.
"Altogether, we haven't had that great of a year, even though we've played well recently," Soliman said. "But, after the last two tournaments we have a lot of confidence going into these tournaments over the next few weeks."
Following the ACC tournament, the Blue Devils will play in the NCAA East Regionals and perhaps the NCAA Championships, depending on their play.
Last year, the Blue Devils managed to bounce back from the disappointment of the ACCs to post a fourth-place finish in the NCAA tournament.
So how much does this year's ACC tournament matter to the team?
"Doing well at the ACCs would really help our confidence," Soliman said. "It would be a great boost going into the regionals."
And for Soliman?
"For me, personally, it means a lot."
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