In its first two games of the year, Duke managed to split matches against two highly touted teams, Tennessee and Texas. The first game of the weekend's set was Friday night at Koskinen stadium. A downpour of rain saturated the field well before the game began and did not stop until the Blue Devils left victorious after an overtime goal by sophomore Casey McCluskey.
The Volunteers and Blue Devils left the field after 90 minutes tied at 1-1. They came back for a sudden death overtime that only lasted four minutes before Duke put an end to the game with a quick offensive surge. Freshman Carolyn Riggs sprinted behind the Tennesse defense, which she had done all game long, and crossed the ball to McCluskey just outside the 6-yard box. McCluskey's first attempt was blocked by goalie Ellen Dean but the Duke midfielder was able to retrieve the ball and volley it into the far corner.
The Blue Devils opened the overtime with an overwhelming amount of energy-which Tennesse could only sustain for a few minutes. Freshman Carmen Bognanno said her team has a certain agenda this season if they reach overtime.
"Last season this team lost four games in overtime and we are not going to lose in overtime this year," Bognanno said. "It's one of our main goals. If we get to overtime, that's our game and we're going to win it."
Duke jumped ahead within five minutes of the opening whistle when Bognanno netted a goal with a pass from forward Brigid Bowdell. The play over the next 40 minutes of the first half was controlled as much by the weather as it was by the players. Most of the balls played in the air skidded past their intended receivers or landed out of bounds.
Both the Volunteers and the Blue Devils decided to use the ground game to minimize the effect of the slick field conditions. McCluskey, Duke's best offensive threat this year, noted the difference in her team's strategy to start the game.
"We decided we would come out and play passes really direct," McCluskey said. "In the beginning it was really hectic."
The second half began with multiple scoring opportunities for the Blue Devils. A frenzy in the 18-yard box led to two consecutive headers with Junior Gwendolyn Oxenham's shot being stopped by Dean. In the 75th minute of the game, freshman defender Kate Seibert blasted a shot from nearly 30 yards away and hit the crossbar.
After that attack the Blue Devils were on their heels for much of the second half. Tennesse had Duke pinned in its own half and the Blue Devils could not string passes together to advance up the field. Bognanno thought her team was a bit tentative during the middle of the second half.
"For a little bit we were scared of going forward and then we built up our confidence to come at them and attack," Bognanno said.
After Duke beat the 15th-ranked Volunteers, it traveled to Austin to play the Texas Longhorns, who are currently ranked in the top ten in most major soccer polls. The Blue Devils lost a 2-1 decision to the Longhorns, who scored first in the 39th minute. Duke managed to outshoot Texas, but could not beat keeper Darci Carruthers in the first half.
Another break in the Blue Devil defense came in the middle of the second half, when the Longhorns' Kelly McDonald beat Duke goalie Katie Straka to open up a 2-0 lead. Duke head coach Robbie Church knows his team is young, especially in the backfield.
"We start two freshman in the back," Church said. "We're going to make mistakes in the course of the season."
One positive for the Blue Devils was their effort during the entire game. A goal by Riggs in the 87th minute prevented a shutout.
Duke returns to the field next weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C. for the Nike Carolina Classic where it will face the No. 12 Washington Huskies Friday night and the Wofford Terriers Sunday.
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