The women's soccer team got four goals, two solid defensive performances and a pair of victories in a road trip to Missouri, but the weekend's most important number might have been zero.
That's zero, as in the number of players lost to injury.
Aside from knee problems which sidelined defender Kim Daws temporarily, Duke avoided the injury bug that struck so violently early last season and swept a pair of hard-earned victories, winning 2-1 at Missouri on Friday and 2-0 at St. Louis on Sunday.
"Both games were very important for us," said Duke coach Bill Hempen, who improved to 11-1 in season openers. "It was not the prettiest of soccer at times, but we'll take it."
The Blue Devils jumped on the board first in both contests, a positive sign for a team coming off its lowest-scoring season in school history.
St. Louis native Susan Kraeger gave Duke its first goal of the season just 3:57 into Friday's contest, curling a 20-yard free kick around the Missouri wall and into the near post.
"Susan's goal was a bomb," Hempen said. "She just stuck it."
The Blue Devils controlled the run of play against the Tigers, but a 48th-minute goal by Missouri's Nikki Thole tied it at 1-1.
Duke overcame the slip-up, scoring the game-winner in the 69th minute on a goal-box scramble. Kasey Truman tapped in the loose ball for a 2-1 victory, snapping a six-match winless streak that dated back to 1998.
"Basically we just worked it around, there was a cross and Alexis Highsmith got off a shot," Truman said. "The keeper tipped it to me, and it was just a case of being in the right place at the right time."
Sunday's victory was more difficult, owing to the hazy, humid St. Louis conditions. Senior captain Sherrill Kester scored what would turn out to be the game-winning goal on a 25-yard blast late in the first half.
Both teams substituted liberally in the heat, and Duke reserve Jenna Turner put an exclamation point on the win with an empty-net goal as time expired.
"We played much better [yesterday], and that was one goal for the weekend-to be a little bit better in the second game than in the first," Hempen said. "So we are building; we're taking little steps. We have some things to work on this week."
Unlike in past years, the Blue Devils did not schedule an exhibition match or a full scrimmage, so Friday's game was the first full-speed action for a squad which included three freshmen in the starting lineup.
The lack of match-fitness showed late in both contests, especially with the overbearing heat.
"The last 15 minutes, we kind of slowed down out there," Truman said. "We were tired mentally and physically.
"I think as a team we are very fit, but we never had a scrimmage so [yesterday] was only the second time playing 11 versus 11. That got to us in the second half."
Still, the Blue Devils maintained a strong possession advantage over St. Louis, outshooting the Billikens 13-4. Goalkeeper Isis Dallis faced just one shot in the first 45 minutes en route to her ninth career shutout.
"Our confidence is really high right now," Truman said after the Blue Devils posted back-to-back wins for the first time since Oct. 2. "It's amazing, awesome. These two games are going to be huge for us, and we needed to get a couple of wins."
It was the first meeting for Duke against both Missouri and St. Louis, and though neither team is as highly regarded as Duke's next three opponents (No. 5 Connecticut, No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 8 Penn State), the results were promising.
For example, the four goals scored in two games represented a vast improvement over the 1998 squad's average of 1.1 per game.
"Since I've been here, this is the best team chemistry we've had," Truman said. "We work together well in practice and in games. Things work. Plays work, passes work. We're connecting on everything better.
"Because of that, I think things are going to work out well."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.