In the past, the field hockey team’s season has ended after its first game in the conference tournament. Now, under second-year head coach Beth Bozman’s guidance, Duke’s real season starts today.
The third-seeded Blue Devils (15-3) will attempt to repeat last year’s semifinal victory in the ACC Tournament when they clash with second-seeded Maryland (14-4). The winner of the contest, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Winston-Salem, will advance to play the either North Carolina and Wake Forest for the title Sunday.
“It’s exciting because you work so hard to put yourself in a good position for the postseason, and they’ve done that,” Bozman said. “You also know that lots of teams are done, so it’s added excitement. You are rewarded for being elite.”
The ACC Tournament features four teams that are far better than any other squad in the country. When they are not matched up against each other, the quartet is 52-4. Play between the group, however, is extraordinarily competitive.
Bozman said the tournament is almost a dress rehearsal for the Final Four. Given the talent disparity between the four ACC teams and the rest of the country, it is unlikely that this weekend’s games will be last among the squads.
Friday’s opponent brings back difficult memories for the Blue Devils. Earlier this season, Maryland narrowly held off Duke for a 5-4 overtime victory. The Blue Devils fell into a 3-1 hole early in the second half and fought back to force overtime at 4-4. But Jackie Ciconte put in a rebound for the golden goal, which gave the home team a narrow victory.
“Last time we played Maryland, we figured out how we could play in the second half,” senior Johanna Bischof said. “So I think if we put a full 70 minutes together it will give us a good shot.”
During the game, the Blue Devils failed to capitalize on many scoring opportunities. This week in practice Bozman said the team has improved its finishing ability at the net and worked on “details” to better utilize its speed against Maryland, especially on the offensive end.
“We’re definitely faster than them,” forward Katie Grant said. “But they are smart defenders, so it will take a lot of communicating with the people behind us.”
The mood in practice this week was no different than in the past, as the team was relaxed and focused. But even with the experience of last year’s tournament run ACC run when they reached the finals, Bozman expects her team to come out fired up and anxious.
“You want to be a little nervous, because I believe if you’re not nervous it doesn’t matter to you,” Bozman said.
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