The field hockey team got back on track Monday night with a 1-0 win over Atlantic Coast Conference rival Wake Forest.
The win ended a dry spell for No. 10 Duke, which had not had an ACC victory since September 13 against Maryland.
The Blue Devils (6-2, 2-2 in the ACC), who were looking to bounce back from their narrow loss Sunday to Virginia, came charging into the first half, and scored the lone goal approximately eight minutes into the game against the 15th-ranked Demon Deacons.
A Wake Forest foul resulted in a penalty corner for Duke, and junior Melissa Panasci's shot was deflected by a Deacon defender. Junior Mandy Schott drove the ball into the goal off the rebound, giving Duke a 1-0 lead.
"We came out, and we were totally dominating," said Panasci. "We played well the entire game."
The rest of the game the Blue Devils were consistent and outshot Wake Forset 17-9, but Duke could not capitalize on its many scoring opportunities.
Coach Liz Tchou was pleased that the Blue Devils kept their focus and consistency in the second half. In recent games, Duke has faded in the second half, allowing ACC foes Virginia and UNC to score goals late in losses to both schools.
She was concerned that Duke didn't create enough shots off set plays. It had only two penalty corners the entire game.
"In the second half we didn't draw any corners and that's one of our strengths," Tchou said.
Tchou also noted that the Blue Devils were playing literally on unfamiliar turf. The Wake Forest field, called sand turf, is made up mainly of sand. On such a field, when a ball comes out of the air, it sits on the field and doesn't bounce. The field is the only one of its kind among ACC teams.
In addition to Schott, freshman goalkeeper Brooke Fuller and junior Cyndi Breyer played important roles in the game for the Blue Devils. Fuller recorded her second shutout of the season, and her first against an ACC opponent.
"Whether I'd gotten the shutout was so unimportant," Fuller said. "We just wanted the win. The shutout was just the icing on the cake."
Fuller, who also had five saves in the game, did not expect to be starting in her first season at Duke, but was thrown into the goal after sophomore Sarah Doherty's early-season injury.
"It's been a challenge [starting as goalie] and there are definitely ups and downs," she said. "The team has been great in supporting me."
Tchou has been impressed with Fuller's play.
"She's done a good job of adjusting," Tchou said. "Each game she's gotten a lot better."
The win tonight has special meaning because the Blue Devils will be facing the Demon Deacons again this Thursday at the East Campus Turf Field.
"It was really important that we got the first win against them, because we didn't want to be pressured to get the second win," Tchou said.
Thursday's game was originally scheduled for Sept. 17, but it was rescheduled due to an oil spill on I-85, which prevented the referees from getting to the game.
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