After a disappointing double-overtime loss to No. 3 Old Dominion Sunday, the fifth-ranked Blue Devils (6-2, 0-1 in the ACC) are ready to show that their spirits have not been dashed.
No. 4 Duke has a chance to rebound from two losses the past two weekends in its next match against No. 5 North Carolina (6-2, 0-1) 1 p.m. Saturday at Williams Field.
Head coach Beth Bozman said her team has taken the disheartening defeat in stride this week rather than focusing on any setbacks.
"I wouldn't say we have to bounce back," Bozman said. "Sunday, it was a painful loss to a great team and double OT is as close as you can get."
Despite the loss to ODU, the Blue Devils have proved themselves as a powerful offensive team. Midfielder Marian Dickinson was named ACC Player of the Week after she recorded two consecutive hat tricks last weekend, and the team has scored 14 goals in its last three games.
Keeping up that offensive success will be the biggest challenge for the Blue Devils this Saturday, facing a UNC team that has allowed only nine goals this season.
"We have to keep moving the ball around," Dickinson said. "Just capitalizing and taking anything we can get, since we're both such tight teams."
The Blue Devils hope what they have been doing is enough to take down the Tar Heels, a team that has given Duke trouble historically. Even though UNC holds a monstrous edge in the rivalry with 58 wins in 68 games, the Blue Devils found success last season, winning 2-1 in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels are also coming off a disappointing loss from last weekend-they fell 2-1 to then 10th-ranked Virginia.
Senior captain Hilary Linton said she is looking forward to this weekend's game after missing the matchup against the Tar Heels last year.
"It'll be exciting and fun," she said. "It's different because all the girls know each other. It's more intense."
After losing to two top-five teams the past two weekends, the Blue Devils have a chance to redeem themselves if they can beat North Carolina. To do so, Linton said Duke will rely on "intensity and hard work."
"We had a lot of intensity in the first half last week, but we didn't bring as much in the second half," she said.
Bozman said her team has what it takes to beat the Tar Heels and has not planned any changes for this weekend.
"We're going to stick with what we've been doing," she said. "It's working well for us so far."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.