The field hockey team rolled through the Blue Hen Classic in Newark, Del. this weekend, setting up an undefeated showdown Saturday with recent nemesis Wake Forest—the team that has defeated the Blue Devils in the last two national championship games.
The Blue Devils defeated host Delaware, 7-2, Sept. 3, and Ohio State, 3-1, Sept. 4, to improve their record to 4-0 on the season.
Duke burst out of the gate against an experienced Delaware team (3-2), running up a 4-0 lead before the Blue Hens could attempt a shot. Seniors Katie Grant and Nicole Dudek, the highest scoring duo in the nation last year, combined for six goals and one assist, and sophomore Marcy Burns added her first goal of the year.
In similar fashion Sunday, Duke jumped on Ohio State (1-2) early, with a Grant goal only 12 minutes into the game. Freshman Marian Dickinson and Burns continued the assault, adding two more goals before halftime. The Blue Devils allowed Ohio State to hang around in the second half, despite outshooting the Buckeyes 25-3 for the game and gaining a 14-4 penalty shot advantage.
“We did dominate, we just couldn’t seem to find the cage,” head coach Beth Bozman said. “Also their keeper played really well, she made a lot of saves, but we certainly had plenty of opportunities.”
Although Ohio State managed to keep the score close, the Blue Devils have rolled over their first four opponents. Duke has outscored its early season competition 20-3, but Bozman said the dominance has been a reflection of the Blue Devils’ high level of play rather than weak opposition. Indeed, Delaware returned nine starters from a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year.
“I thought we actually have played good competition so far,” Bozman said. “We have been approaching every game as not about the opponent but about our play, and so far we have been very successful doing that.”Grant had a particularly outstanding weekend, tying her career high with nine points on four goals and one assist against Delaware, and notching the Blue Devils’ first score against the Buckeyes. The second-leading scorer in Duke history has already racked up 14 points in only four games.
“She is playing at a whole other level,” Bozman said. “She realizes it is her senior year and she wants to accomplish everything she can, and she is certainly playing with that level of intensity.”
The weekend marked the return of senior goalie Christy Morgan, who had not played in the first two games of the season because of a recurring back injury. Morgan recorded 17 minutes in goal against Delaware, but did not play versus Ohio State. In her absence, sophomore Caitlin Williams has stepped up, allowing only two goals between the two games. Bozman said she will decide who will get the majority of the playing time once Morgan returns to full health.
Arguably as important as the two wins this weekend, Duke gained much confidence heading into a matchup with the team that has denied it the last two national championships.
“We have been executing really well, and we are getting better every time out,” Bozman said. “We just have to bring our A-game on Saturday.”
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