They didn't use a slingshot or a stone, but the Blue Devils still managed to defeat one of the Goliaths of collegiate field hockey, knocking off No. 3 Virginia 3-2 in double overtime Saturday.
Coming off a frustrating defeat to UNC on Wednesday, Duke arrived in Charlottesville ready to play. The Blue Devils had lost to Virginia 2-1 in their prior meeting, but this did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.
"We knew we could beat them," coach Liz Tchou said of the Cavaliers. "We went out there feeling like we had nothing to lose and everything to gain."
The combination of confidence and lack of pressure was essential in the victory over the Cavaliers. Virginia came out strong in the first half and earned six corners in the first 10 minutes of the game. But the Blue Devils were able to hold the Wahoos off, and both Duke and Virginia entered halftime scoreless.
Tchou noted that preventing the Cavaliers from scoring during the first half gave the Blue Devils the momentum for the second half. Shortly into the second period of play, a stroke was called on Brooke Fuller after a questionable call by the officials. Heather Hale, a senior tri-captain for Virginia, converted the stroke for the first goal of the contest. Duke was not to be outdone, however. Senior forward Jodie Taylor promptly scored just 24 seconds later on a free hit from just inside the 25-yard line to tie the game at 1-1.
The Cavaliers scored some ten minutes later after a scuffle in front of the cage led to a goal by Alison West. Taylor again came up large for the Blue Devils scoring with 2:26 left in regulation. The score remained tied at 2-2 for the remainder of the game, forcing overtime.
This was the first time all season that Duke was forced into an overtime situation. Tchou decided to put in her fastest players and have a more defensive setup. The seven Blue Devils were Melissa Panasci, Jodie Taylor, Emily Ford, Trina Santomauro, Lynn Schoenherr, Mary Jo Reider, and Brooke Fuller.
With this lineup Duke was geared to score from the field rather than from corners. Panasci received a yellow card half way through the first overtime and was out of the game until the last five seconds of play. The Blue Devils overcame this setback, and the first ten minute overtime period ended with the score still tied at two.
Tchou kept the same seven players in for the second overtime period because they had dominated the first overtime.
"We just had a feeling that chemistry was there," Tchou said.
Duke continued its domination in the second overtime-though they were focusing mainly on defense, the Blue Devils still managed to garner three offensive penalty corners. Duke was given a one-man advantage when Virginia's star player, Michelle Vizzuso, earned a yellow card with 9:24 remaining in the second overtime and was forced to sit out a majority of the period, and with 5:56 left to play, Panasci scored what turned out to be the winning goal.
Tchou says that light practices all week and a positive team meeting the night before the game were conducive to the win. At the meeting everyone gave input on what they wanted from the game. The consensus of the Blue Devils was that they wanted to end the season with much determination and emotion. Ending the regular season with a win makes the season all that much sweeter for Duke. It was the perfect cap to what Tchou calls a "dream season".
"This win was comparable to our win versus Maryland," said Tchou, alluding to the victory which gave the Blue Devils their momentum early in the season.
This weekend's win places the Blue Devils in a tie with Maryland for third place in the ACC, but they will be seeded fourth in next weekend's ACC Tournament after losing the tie breaker. Duke faces Wake Forest Friday in the first round of the ACC tournament.
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