With a rookie head coach and a freshman goalie, the field hockey team never expected to get as far as the NCAA tournament. On Saturday in Chapel Hill, for only the second time in Blue Devil history, the team played in the tournament, closing out their season with an emotional 4-1 loss to Virginia in the first round.
Duke's only other NCAA tournament appearance was in 1992, before any of the current seniors arrived at Duke. The tournament inexperience showed early in the game, as the Blue Devils came out sluggish and Virginia dominated in the early going.
However, the tide turned for the Blue Devils with ten minutes remaining in the first half. Confusion ensued off of a Duke free hit, and junior Melissa Panasci knocked the ball by the Virginia goalie.
"I was expecting to get a call because the girl wasn't five yards [away] and it just went behind her," Panasci said. "I just received it on my strong side and hit it reverse. She went to kick it and it rolled in."
Duke stepped up and played even with the Cavaliers through the rest of the half. They were winning, in charge and headed to halftime ahead.
Almost.
Just as it looked like the Blue Devils would go into halftime with the lead, the Cavaliers took control and showed why they are 18-4.
In the final seconds of the half, Virginia freshman and Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year Meredith Elwell took the ball down the field through the Duke defense. With two seconds remaining, she took a pass from Meredith Thorpe on a two-on-one break and drove the ball into the goal past a stunned Brooke Fuller.
"It was a breakdown," Tchou said. "At the last minute we let them down into our corner. That play probably was the turning point of the game. But it happened and you just have to forget about it."
The Cavaliers did not forget about the play, however, as they carried that momentum into the second half. In the second minute of play in the half, Virginia senior Thorpe, the Wahoos leading scorer, scored off of a pass from teammate Heather Hale.
Duke could not recover from the two quick Virginia goals, as offense and defense struggled to penetrate the Cavaliers.
"Once you came up with the ball it just came right back to you," said senior tri-captain defender Lynn Schoenherr.
Later in the half, Thorpe and Elwell each notched another goal on penalty corners. The pressure seemed to be wearing Duke down, as it was outshot in the second half 16-2.
The Blue Devils also ended up with many fewer penalty corners in the game-Virginia had nine corners and Duke didn't draw any.
"We weren't able to get corners and really that's our strength," Tchou said. "Anybody that can keep Duke field hockey from getting corners is excellent."
The end of the game brought tears and hugs for the Duke team, not because of the loss, but because its season was over.
"It's hard to be upset because there's been so much happiness," Schoenherr said. "It's the first time I've made it to the tournament. It's just something really special and anything further is an added bonus."
For Tchou, her first season coaching has meant more than the ACC Coach of the Year award and a winning season. She has had the chance to reinject enthusiasm in a program that had been down for a few years.
"I'm really going to miss the seniors," Tchou said. "I've had the best year I've ever had in my entire life with these guys."
The feeling has been mutual for the players as well.
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