In last year’s game against Virginia Military Institute, highly touted freshman Matt Danowski tallied seven points as Duke won, 18-11.
The result was very similar against VMI Tuesday but a new freshman star led the way. Zach Greer one-upped Danowski by ripping off eight points, including seven goals, to lead the 13th-ranked Blue Devils to a 15-5 win over the visiting Keydets.
“It’s just getting used to the style of play,” Greer said, who has now scored 14 goals in only three games. “I’m trying to read off the other [players] and get ready for the rest of the season.”
Danowski set up Greer for two dazzling scores in the first quarter, the second one silencing the charging Keydets (0-2). With just five seconds left in the first quarter and Duke (3-0) clinging to a 4-3 lead, Danowski slashed through the middle and fed Greer for an easy goal.
The goal demoralized the VMI team and started a 9-1 Duke run that lasted until midway through the third quarter.
Greer’s most dramatic goal came in the second quarter. With 7:14 to go and Duke playing a man down, Greer took a tough hit behind the net and almost fell. He gracefully kept his balance, powered through three Keydet defenders and released an acrobatic, diving shot past VMI goalkeeper Matt Hook to put the Blue Devils up 10-3.
The Duke offense began Tuesday’s game just like the weather—cold.
Six minutes into the game, with the score still knotted at zero, Pressler decided enough was enough and called a timeout.
“He called us out,” junior Dan Flannery said. “We came out a little bit flat and they came out fired up. [Pressler’s words] opened our eyes a little bit.”
As the sun crept out from behind the clouds, and the weather warmed up a bit, so did the Duke attack. Danowski weaved a pass through the heart of the Keydet defense for Greer’s first goal.
“We made some early mistakes,” Greer said. “[We were] throwing the ball away, not being cautious on defense.”
Once the carelessness subsided, the offense sprinted to a 10-4 lead at the half. Flannery and Danowski guided the team with two goals and three assists each before leaving the game in the middle of the fourth quarter. Pressler was pleased to get some of his starters out of the game.
“We got some contributions from a lot of guys, guys that haven’t played,” said Pressler, whose team travels to Maryland for its ACC opener Saturday. “That’s important because they practice every day.”
Despite what looked like a dominating, double-digit win, the team remained critical of its slow start.
“I would not say this is the best we have played,” Pressler said. “We certainly played better in our other two games than we played today. But, that said, its nice to be 3-0.”
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