Despite the heavy downpours yesterday, rain did not dampen the spirits of the sixth-ranked lacrosse team, as it won its second game of the season in convincing fashion.
The Blue Devils' decisive 21-10 victory over Colgate at Duke Lacrosse Stadium, coupled with its 20-5 defeat of 17th-ranked Butler in Chapel Hill on Friday, marked an impressive opening weekend of the season.
"We knew that we were a better team than both the teams we played this weekend, but it was a good way to get our season going," midfielder T.J. Durnan said. "We came out strong in the first quarter of both games and we wore our opponents down for the rest of the game with our depth."
Although the two games were played in very different weather conditions, the dominant play of the Blue Devils in both contests was quite similar. While Duke held a commanding 7-1 lead at the end of the first quarter against Butler, it also had a comfortable 5-2 lead over Colgate yesterday, allowing the Blue Devils to take the momentum away from their opponents early.
In addition, a balanced offensive attack was evident in both games, as six different Blue Devils scored in the first quarter of the Butler game, while five Blue Devils did the same against Colgate.
The overall balance in scoring is due, in large part, to the unselfishness displayed by the Blue Devils in their two games.
"In several situations, we've been moving the ball and everyone's been unselfish," Durnan said. "We've been finding the open man and finding whoever has the best shot."
Duke's balance, though, didn't overshadow the exceptional play of attackmen Greg Patchak and Durnan, who both scored four goals in each contest. Midfielders John O'Donnell and Adam Dretler were instrumental in Duke's two victories as well, as O'Donnell already has six points on the season (four goals, two assists) and Dretler has five (four goals, one assist).
Also, goalkeeper Matt Breslin, although not facing much pressure in either of the two games, played consistently, which was a big factor in allowing Duke to take advantage of its games early and maintain a sizable margin. Breslin's ability to advance the ball down the field after a save was important as well, as Duke kept its opponents off base by executing a fast-paced offense.
Of course, just two games into the season the Blue Devils still feel they have plenty to work on. While their defense has only surrendered 15 goals in two games, 11 have come in the second half.
"When you play opponents like the two we played this weekend, you come out and get big leads on them and then you don't play as aggressive or as smart [as you would like]," said Durnan. "Later on down the line, when we play better opponents, I'm sure our second halves will be one of our strong points because of our conditioning and our passing."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.