There is little doubt over whether the field hockey national championship will go through an ACC team this season. But the question of which ACC powerhouse will come out on top is still up in the air.
No. 3 Duke (4-0) hopes to draw first blood and make an early season statement in conference play when it goes to Winston-Salem to take on No. 2 Wake Forest (5-0) Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
"Everybody would be kidding themselves if they didn't say it's a big game," head coach Beth Bozman said. "I think we feel the same about every opponent in the ACC. They're crucial, it's all about seeding, and you want to win. You want to beat the best teams, and Wake Forest is a great team."
With four teams in the top five, including the top three overall, the ACC is once again poised to have multiple teams in the final four, with each team eyeing the national championship.
Last season, the two games between Duke and the Demon Deacons were hard fought contests that were decided by one goal, the second of which put the Blue Devils in the NCAA title game. Duke lost the championship to Maryland. With three teams in the final four, the ACC further proved its supremacy.
As a result, a Blue Devils' victory over Wake Forest would give the team the necessary confidence for the rest of the conference season.
The Demon Deacons, however, present a challenge to a Duke team that has had trouble scoring against good defenses. In their first game of the season, the Blue Devils prevailed over Louisville despite the Cardinals holding them to only two goals. In last weekend's overtime victory against Iowa, Duke was scoreless in the first half.
Bozman said the Blue Devils have, so far, always scored enough to win. She is also confident that the Blue Devils turned a corner in last weekend's overtime victory at Iowa.
"I think the second half of the Iowa game was the real breakthrough for us," Bozman said, "We finally played the hockey that we thought we were capable of. I'd be very worried if we hadn't had that half, but it was a great half for us."
Bozman's confidence was echoed by senior forward Cara-Lynn Lopresti.
"I think we're very prepared going into this game," Lopresti said. "I feel more prepared playing Wake this year than any other year."
No matter the outcome or the significance of Saturday's contest, Duke is only beginning a long road back to the national championship game.
"This is a good starting point for the rest of the season," senior captain Amy Stopford said, putting the game in perspective. "Playing against good teams, you always discover what you need to improve on."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.