When Van Halen lost lead singer David Lee Roth in the mid-eighties, it did not take time to rebuild the band. Instead, it reloaded with new lead Sammy Hagar.
Similarly, even though the Maryland women's lacrosse team has lost three-time All-American Sascha Newmarch, this season's squad has not missed a beat.
Tonight, however, No. 7 Duke (1-0) has a different tune in mind. The Blue Devils travel north to face the top-ranked Terrapins (1-0) in College Park at 7 p.m.
This will not be the first time that Duke has taken on Maryland with the Terps ranked No. 1. Last season, the Blue Devils upset Maryland 10-6 at Duke Lacrosse Stadium for its first-ever ACC victory.
Despite the early-season loss, the Terrapins went on to win their fourth consecutive national championship.
"When you step on the field at Maryland and you've got that school across your chest, it does something," said Duke coach Kerstin Kimel, who played her collegiate career for the Terps. "They're in the middle of a bit of a dynasty. They're feeling really confident that they can win the championship again."
In the early going of this season, Maryland has been no less impressive. It opened playing against the best, recording an exhibition win over the U.S. National Team, 12-8. The Terps followed this win with their first regular-season victory, a 12-8 decision over No. 9 Penn State.
Duke, which opened its season Tuesday with a 14-3 thrashing of Hofstra, does not view its game with the nation's No. 1 team any differently than any other game.
"We're not going to stop what we are doing because we are playing Maryland," Kimel said. "We really want to concentrate on us, put our people on the field and do our thing against Maryland."
The Blue Devils' defense, especially keeper Shannon Chaney, will have its hands full against the Terps. Maryland's offense, led by Jen Adams and Christie Jenkins, tallied 41 shots in its win over Penn State. Duke, however, only allowed 13 shots on goal against Hofstra.
Tricia Martin, who scored four goals in the Blue Devils' upset over Maryland last season, will likely be the key again this time around. Courtney Rodgers will also look to follow up her three-goal performance from last year's match in an effort to outgun the potent Maryland attack.
It will be no easy task to get the ball past Maryland's All-American goalkeeper Alex Kahoe, who set the school record for saves in a season last year.
The most important part of the game for Duke could be the opening 10 minutes. In the opening minutes of their first win this season, the Terrapins notched five unanswered goals against the Nittany Lions. On the other hand, the Blue Devils only held a 2-1 advantage over Hofstra with 19 minutes to play in the first half. If Duke does not get out to a solid start, it may be a long evening for the Blue Devils.
"We are just going to focus on us," Kimel said. "We might make a few adjustments, but we have to remember that our play is what is important. We still have games after Maryland."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.