One face-off. One ground ball. One save. One shot. One goal.
Two weeks ago, the difference between the national championship and second place for Duke proved to be a single play. Despite the disappointing finale, the Blue Devils enjoyed a banner year and are looking to carry their success into the 2006 campaign.
“Our goal, as we came one play away, is to maintain this and keep this program consistent at this kind of level,” Duke head coach Mike Pressler said after his team’s 9-8 loss to Johns Hopkins May 30. “We all got our taste of it now, and now how do we turn this into a positive for the ‘06 season?”
Graduating only three starters, the Blue Devils should be in prime position to return to Philadelphia next year for another shot at the national championship. Returning the same offensive group that made up the nation’s best attack, Duke will again rely on its potent three-way scoring threat of Matt Zash, Matt Danowski and Zach Greer. With another year of experience under its belt, the record-setting trio should expect to shatter more marks next spring.
“We’re sophomores and juniors with a hell of a lot of experience,” Pressler said. “Youth is only youth when they don’t have experience. When you have youth and experience, throw the youth out.”
The biggest off-season challenge the Blue Devils will face will be finding a replacement for All-American goalie Aaron Fenton. Junior Dan Loftus and sophomore Rob Schroeder will battle for the starting spot in the cage. Of the two, Loftus may have a slight edge having started seven games his freshman year and serving as Fenton’s back-up this past season.
“We’re going to leave that open,” Pressler said. “We have two outstanding players and we’ll decide that in the fall.”
The Blue Devils will also have to contend with the ramifications stemming from their newfound perch among the nation’s elite teams. After being picked to finish fourth in the ACC last season, Duke should enter the 2006 campaign with its highest preseason ranking in program history. As a result, the Blue Devils will need to shift their outlook to reflect their transition from underdogs to marked men.
“It’s going to be a different,” Pressler said. “We go from being the hunter to the hunted. Teams are going to be marking us with a red circle. We need a new mindset, and we’ll have to address that before next season.”
Still, the Blue Devils have their hearts set on returning to the “City of Brotherly Love” and leaving Lincoln Financial Field as national champions.
“They’re very determined to get back to the Final Four and change the outcome,” Pressler said.
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