In the field hockey team's Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Wednesday, Duke demonstrated just how far its come in the last few years. The Blue Devils didn't play their best and still toppled Wake Forest.
Duke (3-2, 1-0 in the ACC) took advantage of a great game by Emily Ford and rode the strong goaltending of Sarah Doherty to a 2-1 win over the Demon Deacons (6-2, 0-1) in Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest outshot the Blue Devils 19-8 and had nine penalty corners to Duke's six. But junior Mary Jo Reider's conversion off a corner with 17 minutes left in the game propelled the Blue Devils to the win.
"I didn't think we were as sharp as we were for the Princeton weekend," Duke coach Liz Tchou said. "I thought we played pretty well but we need a lot of sharpening.
And yet, while the Blue Devils might not have played as well as they did in last Sunday's 1-0 loss to Princeton, on Wednesday night at the very least they scored.
Ford, whom Tchou said played the best game of her collegiate career, opened the scoring just over 14 minutes in on a breakaway shot that alluded Wake Forest goalie Megan Nitka. The junior began her run on goal from 25 yards out and finished off the play unassisted.
"Emily's goal was beautiful," Doherty said. "She played just an incredible game."
But before the first half was over, the Demon Deacons tied the score when Jenny Everett deflected a corner shot by Amy Allen past Doherty at 8:40.
The goal was the only one Doherty allowed. The sophomore faced 19 shots and saved 10 of them, continuing a string of strong performances over the past few games.
"It's just experience," Doherty said. "I get more comfortable with each game. It was really important to win this game. Everybody was excited and really wanted it. At some points we were a little flat but it was good the way we were fighting."
Reider scored the game-winner with 17 minutes remaining after a string of successive penalty corners for Duke. Ford and Cyndi Breyer assisted on Reider's sixth goal of the year.
Wake Forest had a few chances late in the game but couldn't find the equalizer. Tchou felt that freshman backer Maureen Denney, in particular, played well, though the Blue Devils' defense as a whole still gave the Demon Deacons opportunities late.
"We wanted to keep the ball on the outside the last 10 minutes," Tchou said. "Our passing was weaker at the end but we still held them. We came up with some big tackles when we needed it."
Duke had to adjust to Kentner Stadium's unusual field conditions. Wake Forest plays on a sand turf, much different from the fast surface of the East Campus Turf Fields.
Balls hit in the air stop in sand, rather than bouncing like they do on artificial turf. The conditions forced the Blue Devils to stay lower to the ground in order to push the ball forward. It was two pushes by Ford and Reider that turned out to be the difference in the game.
"Today was huge for us to pull this out," Tchou said. "When we're playing together, we can really move the ball down the field."
Duke takes a break from ACC play this weekend when it hosts Temple and national power Old Dominion on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
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