Duke's home opener against Virginia Commonwealth still looms four days away, but the field hockey team just might feel like it's playing at home tonight.
Following four consecutive road losses against top-notch competition to start the season, the Blue Devils (0-4) have to be looking forward to an in-state drive to Boone, N.C., where they will have the opportunity to square off with a struggling Appalachian State team (1-5) this evening at 7:30 p.m. And with its disappointing winless record still in effect, Duke has to be hoping that a Mountaineer squad that has been shut out in four of its six games will be the perfect tonic to move the Blue Devils into the win column.
But in order to do that, Duke will have to win without senior midfielder Kim Susko, who is out indefinitely after getting hit in the face with a ball during Saturday's loss to Old Dominion.
"We will juggle our lineup with Kim Susko out," field hockey coach Liz Tchou said. "I'm not sure what her chances of playing in the future will be. She will be meeting with the plastic surgeon... and we don't expect her to be back for a while."
Tchou said that Susko's absence, while worrisome for the team's on-field leadership , will give the younger players more of an opportunity to step up and work on their scoring.
The younger players are certainly not the only members of the team who need to focus on hammering the ball into the back of the cage. The entire Blue Devil squad went scoreless in the loss against Old Dominion Saturday, but the lack of offensive production has had a surprising amount of longevity. Dating back to last season's ACC tournament game against Virginia, Duke has only scored three goals in its last six games.
Against similar competition, however, the Blue Devils have fared slightly better than the Mountaineers. Both teams competed against Michigan State in St. Louis, with Duke losing 2-1 while Appalachian State was topped 3-0.
Despite their poor record, there are reasons to be weary of the Moutaineers, the two-time defending Deep South champions.
"Appalachian State is a scary team to play," Tchou said. "They're not a hit-and-run team, they're very unpredictable, they're very motivated and they have nothing to lose. We're going to go for it all out-we're not taking any game lightly."
As they continue to search for their first victory of the season, the Blue Devils have no reason to underestimate an opponent-even if it is a rather small-time school experiencing a dismal start to its season.
So, once again, it's time for a battered and travel-weary team to take to the road on a mini-journey. But, unlike the first four games of the season, tonight's game against Appalachian State is practically in the Blue Devils' own backyard. And that, plus the fact that they won't have to leave the state of North Carolina for nearly a month, is cause enough for celebration.
Paul Doran contributed to this story.
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