Seven to three: that's the score by which Maryland beat Duke's field hockey team last year at College Park.
Seven and three: that's the 10th-ranked Blue Devils' record this season, including a current five-game tear in which Duke has outscored its opponents 22-5.
Duke takes on the Terrapins (9-1) for the first time this season at Williams Field tonight at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils tout an undefeated record at home, with all three losses coming on the road.
In addition to placing its perfect home record on the line, Duke will attempt to preserve its five-game winning streak against No. 4 Maryland, which has won seven straight games and lost only one all season. That loss came at the hands of perennial powerhouse ODU, the same team the Blue Devils dethroned a little over a week ago.
"[The win over ODU] was a confidence booster," sophomore Melissa Yuppa said. "It was a really big win and we needed it at the time."
Duke picked up that win through the heroics of Corey Ceccolini, who scored all three of the Blue Devils' goals against ODU. Ceccolini, last week's ACC co-player of the week, and junior Courtney Sommer have combined for 15 goals this season and form Duke's first line of attack on offense.
The Terrapins are no strangers to stopping streaks, though. Maryland ended ninth-ranked Wake Forest's eight-game winning streak on Saturday, shutting out the Demon Deacons 4-0.
It was the first time Wake Forest has been blanked this season.
Maryland's defense held the Demon Deacons to just nine shots on goal, their lowest offensive output this season. In goal, the Terrapin trio of sophomore Ashley Hohnstine and juniors Zoe Ehrlick and Sarah Rappolt have combined for shutouts over Wake Forest and Delaware.
On offense, Maryland All-American Carla Tagliente has tallied five goals already this season, including a hat trick on Sept. 15 in a 10-1 blowout over Towson. Tagliente leads a relentless Terp offense that will attempt to break down the Duke defense and senior goalie Jenn Robb, who recorded her second shutout of the season last weekend against Temple.
"We all have to play team defense," Yuppa said. "If you're not in the play, you're working just as hard off-ball to help [the other players] make the cut."
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