After a win at James Madison and two close losses against No. 2 North Carolina, coach Liz Tchou was convinced that the field hockey team had turned its season around.
After last night's 3-0 loss to unranked Wake Forest, she might not be so sure.
"We had been riding really high the past few games," Tchou said. "We kind of hit a snag today."
The Demon Deacons (7-6, 1-1 in the ACC) struck early, flicking a penalty stroke into the goal cage just 2:50 into the first half.
Wake Forest, which had lost in overtime against Duke earlier this season, came out looking for blood.
"They got themselves up for the game," said senior Trina Santomauro. "It definitely was revenge for them."
Later in the half, senior Amanda Janney received a pass from Jenny Everett and shot the ball by Duke goalie Jenn Robb, who had eight saves on the night.
Despite having 11 shots on goal, the Blue Devils (5-5, 0-2) were unable to put anything by Wake Forest goalie Megan Nitka.
Near the end of the second half, Janney scored her second goal of the game, this time assisted by freshman Ninke van Ruete.
"Wake played a great game," Tchou said. "We were very reactive and that's uncharacteristic for our team. The execution just wasn't there. Teams are really starting to come after us, and the next step is being able to adapt to that."
No. 13 Duke expected a tough game but thought the score would be a little closer.
The Demon Deacons have a distinct advantage at home, because their field is a unique surface. Instead of astroturf, which most Division I schools play on, Wake Forest's field is made of a sand-like substance called santer. The ball bounces differently on santer and rolls more slowly.
For Duke, however, the field wasn't the problem.
"No excuses," Tchou said. "You find a way to win. We weren't as prepared as we could have been."
The Blue Devils had compiled a six-game win streak against the Demon Deacons, beating them 9-1 last year for the biggest margin of victory in Duke history.
"You prepare for every game of the season, but in the back of your mind, you still expect to beat them," Santamauro said. "This game makes us realize how we've got to go into a game. It makes us re-evaluate that for the rest of the season."
Unfortunately for Duke, the first game of the season doesn't count as a conference game for scoring purposes. In terms of ACC Tournament seeding, the Blue Devils are considered 0-2 in the ACC, despite winning once against Wake Forest.
Duke next faces Temple on Saturday in Philadelphia.
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