Growing up, the person with the loudest voice is usually the one who is in the principal's office most often. But when it comes to junior Heather Keeney and the women's lacrosse team, the loudest player on the field is the one causing the other team trouble.
"With that high-pitched voice calling out 'ball' or 'help,' you definitely know it's Heather and not someone else," freshman defender Emily Hickman said.
Keeney's distinctive pitch has keyed the Blue Devils' defense this season, as Duke has rolled to a much-improved 5-8 record thus far. Coach Kirsten Kimel credits the defense as the reason for much of Duke's success, and Keeney is the heart, as well as the voice, of the defense.
"People make fun of me all the time because I'm really loud on the field," Keeney said. "But the main thing on defense is communication, and I think that my ability to communicate on the field with my teammates helps keep my teammates up and focused on the game instead of the last play."
While the Blue Devil offense has been relatively consistent from last year-with only three more goals this season through 13 games-Duke has held opponents to 1.77 fewer goals per game than last year. And while Duke was 0-4 in games decided by two goals or less last year, the Blue Devils' defense provided them with a 7-6 win earlier this season by holding Boston College to only one goal in the last 20 minutes to preserve a narrow one-goal lead.
"Defense has been one of our strengths this year, because that's where all our experience is-if you can consider juniors and sophomores experienced," Kimel said of her senior-less roster. "Heather is one of the leaders on the team. She's a captain, and she has been part of the reason for our success on defense because she's stepped up and taken a leadership role.
"Where Heather is on the field, at the point closest to the goal, she can see everything that's going on from there, and her communication from back there helps everybody."
On a team lacking seniors, Keeney ranks as one of the most experienced players on the roster. She is one of three juniors to have started all 27 regular season games in the history of Duke's women's lacrosse program. From her position overseeing the field, she has helped the defense to become more cohesive.
"The difference in the defense is like night and day from last year," Keeney said. "The experience is huge, and it's really helped us come together as a unit. We stay together when we're down, and we just always know where each other are on the field."
While Keeney has shown flashes of her offensive ability this season-scoring once and tallying an assist in a 10-5 win over George Mason on March 13-her main role has been to run the defense.
"We really rely on her in our line defense," Hickman said. "It's really comforting to know that she's back there because she's older and experienced. But it's not just her leadership; she's a really good lacrosse player. She just comes out of nowhere with her skills and your mouth just drops open watching her. Her checks on impact, her interceptions, and on offense; she just really comes up big in games."
Keeney's presence has also helped to transform freshman goalie Shannon Chaney into a runner-up for the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year.
"Heather is basically the backbone of the defense," Chaney said. "She's very vocal in telling me where she is, and if she tells me she's got her girl, I know that girl is not gonna score. Having her back there on defense really helps me, and I have complete confidence in Heather."
Keeney's role on the team increased three games ago when fellow defensive starter Sandy Johnston went down with a season-ending stress fracture of her right femur. But with her help, the whole team has stepped up to fill the gap.
"There are still holes where we need Sandy, but I really commend the defense for not getting down," Keeney said. "We were all upset because she's another upperclassman and a great defender, but the whole team has really shifted to take her place. Each person has stepped up to help fill what was lost."
With Keeney's high-pitched calls from the last line of defense, it is sure to keep the team from staying down.
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