This seemed like it could be the year for the men's lacrosse team.
The Blue Devils jumped out to a 9-0 record and captured the nation's No. 2 ranking. Duke had one of the nation's top defenses, never letting an opponent score in double digits until its final game.
The longest winning streak in school history finally snapped following a one-goal loss to North Carolina. But Duke rebounded to beat the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament, but then lost a fourth-quarter lead to Virginia in the ACC final.
Despite the two losses, heading into the NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils seemed like they could compete with anyone and seemed to be a good bet for the Final Four.
But the incredible regular season meant nothing in the national quarterfinal game against Georgetown. The defense faltered for the first time all year, giving up an unprecedented 17 goals in a stunning 17-14 loss. At the press conference immediately following the loss, coach Mike Pressler could not believe what he had seen.
But now, one month later, Pressler is a bit more reflective on the season that was.
"We're not going to let one game taint the body of your work," Pressler said. "And the body of our work was probably the best-ever regular season in the history of our program.... When you lose a game like that you are very disappointed, but you don't want to have five months rest on one game. I told the guys how I feel about it and we're looking forward to next year. We should have another outstanding team again."
And while the talent level may remain constant from this year's team to the next, Duke will have to cope with the loss of 13 seniors. The midfield and defensive units are hit hardest, losing Scott Diggs, Adam Dretler, Tim Knowles, Marc Amen, Palin Archer and Dan Umbel, among others.
"This is a group I've grown very close to," Pressler said. "This is one of those groups that you come to really enjoy and like. They brought it every day. They had great work ethic, great leadership.... They brought us to the level where we are at right now and they'll sorely be missed."
But the Blue Devils have seen this type of thing before. Following Duke's 1997 Final Four season, Pressler and his team had to deal with the loss of exactly 13 seniors. The Blue Devils hardly missed a beat, advancing to the quarterfinals, only to lose to Princeton by one goal.
"The Class of '97 is similar to the Class of '99 in the sense that both were really strong senior classes that contributed a lot over their four years," Pressler said. "But the biggest difference is that in 1998 we only returned five seniors, while this year we'll have 10. We have a great senior class of 10 guys next year. The names have changed, but I think the play, the leadership and the work ethic will certainly continue."
Changes in the defensive lines will be less dramatic because Duke will once again be anchored by sophomore goalkeeper Matt Breslin, who had a stellar season as the Blue Devils' new starter. But the roster changes could lead to a more offensive-oriented team, as Duke's attack line returns completely intact.
But even as the Blue Devils undergo potentially dramatic change, the goal is the same as it has been since 1997: get to the Final Four and win a title.
Duke came remarkably close to that goal this year, but it was Virginia who captured the crown. But the Blue Devils know they were close, after all, they beat the Cavaliers for the regular season ACC championship just a few weeks the NCAAs began.
And while the season did not end the way the Blue Devils hoped, Pressler believes they may have gathered the experience that could put them over the top next year.
"We were right there, but it just didn't happen for us," Pressler said. "That doesn't say it won't in the future. We'll get that opportunity again. We'll learn from this, we'll grow from this and we'll be able to take advantage of it better than we did against Georgetown."
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