A mere three weeks and four games into the women's soccer season, the Blue Devils (2-2) need answers and victories in a pivotal weekend against tough non-conference foes.
Their contests Friday and Sunday against Missouri (5-0) and Georgia (2-1-1), respectively, in the 11th annual Duke Adidas Classic at Koskinen Stadium could potentially sink a veteran team that had illusions of NCAA Tournament success or they could propel Duke into the conference season with newfound confidence and poise.
"It sucks that these games are so important so early in the season," senior defenseman Katie Heaps said. "Nevertheless, we are so excited to go out and play, and I think that things will work out for us."
Lately, however, Duke, beset by a slew of injuries and an anemic offense, has struggled to live up to its preseason expectations. The Blue Devils' victories have come against Davidson and UNC-Charlotte, two lowly squads, while they have lost to Penn State and Maryland, their more legitimate opponents. In addition, they have not competed outside of practice for two whole weeks because of their canceled tournament in San Diego last weekend.
"It will definitely be a big couple of games for us," coach Robbie Church said. "In practice the last couple weeks, I think that we have sorted out what we needed to in order for us to be successful this weekend."
As the Blue Devils look to revive their chances this season, Missouri has defied all expectations during the best start in its program's history. Senior Dyana Russell and sophomore Adriene Davis have simply dropped opposing defensemen up front. During the Tigers' last contest, Davis nabbed two school records--one for scoring (8 points) and the other for assists (4) in a single game. However, for all of Davis' explosiveness, Missouri still prefers to grind its opponents down rather than fly by them.
"I expect a typical ACC-Big 12 matchup on Friday that features two opposing styles," Church said. "They will play low-pressure soccer with a defensive emphasis, and we like to play an up-tempo game. If our outside midfielders do well, that will be the key to the game."
Sunday's game should not prove to be much easier. The Bulldogs, while far from dominant, play a well-balanced brand of soccer that keeps scores low and games tight. One bounce in either team's direction could decide the outcome of this contest.
And the Blue Devils badly need the ball to dribble their way this weekend for fear of potentially seeing another season drift away at such an early age.
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