The second-ranked women's lacrosse team is in uncharted territory, and it hopes to keep things that way.
With the highest ranking in the program's three-year history, the Blue Devils are already making quite a name for themselves-in lacrosse circles if not around campus-as national contenders.
And while most people in Durham have spent the last four months obsessing over another championship run, Duke coach Kerstin Kimel is quietly positioning her team for its own shot at history.
"To be honest, from a coaching standpoint, it's been perfectly fine," Kimel said of the scant attention paid to her 6-1 team. "I don't want our team to be focused on where we are ranked right now."
Yet it is increasingly hard to ignore the best start in school history, particularly with tonight's 7 p.m. showdown against No. 3 North Carolina (4-2) looming large.
The Blue Devils have never beaten the Tar Heels, and a win tonight at Duke Lacrosse Stadium would be a major step in establishing Duke's status as an elite program.
"There haven't been a lot of big games across the country this year, and this will be a big one," Kimel said without any exaggeration. "Any time you beat an ACC school, it's huge."
In fact, a win over an ACC school is bigger than that. The four ACC schools with women's lacrosse programs, Maryland and Virginia are the other two, are ranked 1-4 nationally in the latest poll. Add the traditional rivalry of the two schools and the drama is complete.
"As much as you want to tell your players it's just another game, ultimately it's Carolina-Duke and there's going to be pride at stake," Kimel said.
Carolina, which returns a pair of All-America players from last year's Final Four team, has climbed the polls after a 6-3 win over Virginia.
The Tar Heels' blend of speed and athleticism is lethal, and one reason why Kimel wants her team to control the game's tempo.
"We're a very defensive-oriented team and we're trying to improve as an offensive team," Kimel said. "We want to play our style of game, not necessarily speed the game up or slow it down. We just want to control the ball."
Attacker Erin McGinnis is one of UNC's two All-America seniors. With talented freshman Erin McInnes on the same front line, Carolina has a strike force with peculiar symmetry and obvious potency (15 goals combined).
Another freshman, Christine McPike, leads the Tar Heels with 13 goals.
Duke counters with national preseason player of the year Tricia Martin, who continues to make the school record book into her own personal journal.
After a record-tying six goal performance against Johns Hopkins Saturday, Martin has more than 100 career goals, easily the best in school history.
"She's had a real challenge because everybody knows she can score," Kimel said. "She has to expect the other team's best defense and a physical matchup every game."
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