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Game commentary
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Women's soccer lacks confidence in loss to Carolina**
Going into Thursday night's game, the women's soccer team had everything going its way. After struggling early on in the season, Duke had two great efforts back to back--tying No. 2 Notre Dame and knocking off No. 12 William & Mary. The team had climbed six spots in the polls to re-enter the top 10 at No. 6 in the Soccer America poll. And, most importantly, it had rid itself of what head coach Bill Hempen called a false confidence that plagued the team early in the year, and was starting to perform the way it needed to perform.
"We were definitely confident after the weekend," senior midfielder Cara Lyons said. "We thought we had a shot at them."
Added to the shot of confidence from the weekend was the looming memory of that fateful day exactly one year ago, when Duke played David and slew the mighty Tar Heels--at Chapel Hill no less. Lyons said that after that win, Duke knew North Carolina was beatable.
So when the clock started just after 7 p.m., things couldn't be better for the Blue Devils. What happened next is another story. The Tar Heels were hungry for a win and came out on the attack, keeping the ball on the Duke side of the field for most of the first half.
Then came the mental mistakes, and the eventual demise of the Blue Devils. The one necessary factor in a game plan against the Tar Heels is to make no mistakes. The Blue Devils did that last year. They didn't do that Thursday. First, there was a defensive lapse that allowed a wide open Cindy Parlow to loft a pass across the field. Parlow's pass was then headed in by Robin Cofer for the first goal of the night.
Even more damaging was the goal that came six minutes later. After a Tar Heel corner kick, freshman Kristy Whelchel attempted to clear the ball. Instead, it landed in the back of the net, and the Tar Heels had a 2-0 lead.
"The first two goals were lapses, and you can't do that against good teams," senior forward Kelly Walbert said.
Hempen said those two goals really hindered the Duke morale. Instead of being in a scoreless tie, which is where they should have been, the Blue Devils had to step up their aggressiveness and try to score against a very quick Tar Heel defense.
"You're putting yourself so deep into the hole like that that it musters every bit of your inner toughness to come out and compete for the next 45 minutes," Hempen said. "Last year, we had no mistakes. We had several tonight. Even tackles--three people in on a tackle and it bounces their way. What are you going to do about that?"
Mental lapses come from lack of confidence. And lack of confidence often comes from lack of heart. According to North Carolina junior forward Debbie Keller, that was the difference.
"I think the difference between tonight and last year is that this year, we had more heart than they did," Keller said. "Tonight, we outplayed them--just like last year, they outplayed us."
Hempen agreed somewhat with Keller's assessment, saying that the Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils at the midfield, which is the heart of their team. Also, Duke's play in goal was less than stellar. After starting the game strong with some nice saves, Duke's Melissa Carr seemed to lose her confidence after surrendering her first goal. Then, after the own goal, Carr began to have poor punts that did not even cross midfield. Hempen pulled Carr in the second half for freshman Dana Piper, who has seen limited action this year.
The question that remains is whether the Blue Devils can recapture the confidence and emotional high they felt before this game.
All the players say the same thing. That this was just one game. That they have to put it out of their minds.
Right now Duke will be fighting not only for a high national ranking, but more importantly, a spot in the NCAA tournament. It would be a shame for a team picked in the preseason to vie for the national title not to even make the NCAA tournament. But the Blue Devils hold their own fate.
"I don't think this game can affect [our chances] at all," Hempen said. "It just can't. We have to create our own future as far as the NCAA and the [Atlantic Coast Conference] tournament. It's going to be difficult, but it's not the end of the world. It can be, if they choose to make it that. Our job now is to put it behind us."
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