WEST POINT, N.Y. -- With a 5-7 record that ensured elimination from any further postseason play, the 2004 men's lacrosse team (5-8) convened for the final time Saturday at West Point's historic Michie Stadium. There, on the same field that hosted back-to-back-to-back NCAA football champions from 1944-1946, and in front of a record 1,542 fans, the Blue Devils lost to No. 14 Army (10-4) in a 13-7 contest that could be employed as a metaphor for the Duke's entire 2004 campaign--the Blue Devils hung tough until halftime, and only trailed 3-2 at the break but faded down the stretch.
The victory ensured an NCAA Tournament bid for the Black Knights, and according to Duke head coach Mike Pressler, that added incentive made the difference in Saturday's contest.
"When you get outhustled, when you get outplayed, that's what happens," Pressler said. "They were ready, we weren't.... That intensity made all the difference."
The game started out very unpromisingly for the Blue Devils. Army won four of five faceoffs in the first quarter and opened up a 3-0 lead in the game's first five minutes. The tables slowly began to turn, however, as Duke began to win its faceoffs and apply much heavier offensive pressure in the Black Knights' half of the field. The Blue Devils closed the gap to 3-2 on goals by freshman Matt Danowski and sophomore Matt Zash, who finished the game with four goals, and narrowly missed on several other scoring opportunities due to a combination of bad breaks and a stellar 18-save performance by Army goaltender Matt Darak.
Any hopes of a Duke victory, however, were dashed in the third quarter, when the Black Knights outscored the Blue Devils 6-1. The Duke defense appeared to be helpless when it came to stopping the Army blitz. The Black Knights scored seven consecutive goals during a 13-minute period that spanned the third and fourth quarters.
"They ran their offense well; we were slow to the ball; there was just nothing we could do," freshman defender Nick O'Hara said.
Army will be headed to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament, and Duke will finish with a losing record for the first time since 1990. In hindsight, most people realized that it was unrealistic to expect that the Blue Devils would come out with an intensity that equaled that of a team whose season was on the line.
"These kids are built tough, and they showed today why they go here and why they'll fight for our country," faceoff man Dan Oppedisano said. "We tried our best and we came up short."
The loss came on the heels of 10-9 Blue Devil victory over Denver (8-6) in Duke's home finale May 4. The Blue Devils, led by senior Chris Haunss, who scored four goals in the contest, staved off a fourth quarter rally thanks to freshman Fred Krom's game-winning goal.
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