Fourth seeded and 17th-ranked Duke enters tonight's 7:30 p.m. semifinal matchup against the Tar Heels fresh off a 3-0 win over Wake Forest Wednesday. The Blue Devils (13-6) also played a hard-fought game against North Carolina (17-0-1) Oct. 28, losing 2-1, but the quick Tar Heels have never lost in the ACC Tournament.
The best women’s soccer program in the nation rarely looks vulnerable at tournament time.
But top-seed and top-ranked North Carolina—a team that has never lost a game in the ACC Tournament—was tested by Duke at the end of the season and Wednesday needed two overtimes and a header from Olympian Heather O’Reilly to top eighth-seeded Maryland.
Fourth seeded and 17th-ranked Duke enters tonight’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal matchup against the Tar Heels fresh off a 3-0 win over Wake Forest Wednesday. The Blue Devils (13-6) also played a hard-fought game against North Carolina (17-0-1) Oct. 28, losing 2-1.
“We tied them when I was a freshman and more than ever we know that 11 girls we put out on the field, we’re confident we can play their 11 girls any day,” said junior Carolyn Riggs, who netted the Duke goal when the teams played last week.
Duke and UNC square off in the second of two semifinals at the SAS Soccer Complex in Cary. Second-seeded Virginia and sixth-seeded Clemson play at 5:30 p.m.
The cohesive and quick North Carolina back line moves well as a unit and will force the Blue Devils to be precise with their passes. The Blue Devils will have to take advantage of scoring opportunities, which were at a season low when the teams played Oct. 28. To earn a historic win over the Tar Heels, ACC Player of the Year Casey McCluskey said the forwards need to remain on the outside of the field.
In recent games, Duke has used the counterattack to marshall its offense. Defenders have frequently sent long clears to Riggs, McCluskey and the other Blue Devil attackers, leading to shots on goal.
“Teams have just been playing a really hard restraining line on us because Riggs is exceptionally fast, and I think they have been trying to play really tight on me,” said McCluskey, adding that the team has made several major adjustments to cope with the defensive matchups.
Duke’s backs—unified by the phrase “Pride in Zeros” that co-captain and defensive leader Carolyn Ford inscribes on each defender’s arm prior to games—have continued their solid play in front of freshman goalie Allison Lipsher. Ford and the rest of the defenders will key in on O’Reilly, the Tar Heels’ most dangerous scorer.
Like most other conference teams, Duke has been dominated by North Carolina in tournament action. In the semifinals last season, the Tar Heels jumped on the Blue Devils early and sent Duke back to Durham with a 6-1 loss.
But Duke seems to have more confidence this year.
“We’re always excited to play North Carolina,” head coach Robbie Church said. “They’re a great team, a great program. They played well Thursday night over in Chapel Hill. You always want to play the best and you always want to test them. I expect us to play very well. I expect it to be a very competitive game.”
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