Coming off a scoreless tie with Maryland Oct. 14, Duke hopes to accomplish something it hasn't done in the last six years-defeat Clemson.
The Blue Devils (7-5-2, 3-2-1 in the ACC) will attempt to break this losing streak-which extends from the 2000 ACC tournament-when they host the Tigers (8-6-1, 3-3-1) tonight at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium.
"Every year is different and you've got to look at the past and learn from it," Duke head coach Robbie Church said. "We've had opportunities against Clemson before, but we just haven't done a good job of finishing them."
Clemson has held the Blue Devils scoreless in five of its last seven contests, recording one-goal victories in the last three meetings.
The Tigers will be riding the momentum of a 2-1 upset win over then-No. 9 Wake Forest Oct. 14. Leading Clemson is freshman Katie Vogel, who scored the game-winning goal against the Demon Deacons.
Duke has been working on improving its offensive efforts after the frustrating tie against the Terrapins.
"We need to finish better in general," Church said. "We focused on ourselves this week and some of the areas that we have to get better in."
While the team is disappointed with its overall performance against Maryland, Duke used the tie as an opportunity to re-evaluate where it stands heading into the postseason.
"The Maryland game showed us we still have things to work on defensively, which is a frustration at this point," senior Rachel-Rose Cohen said. "At this late [point] in the season, we have to start pulling it together."
Instead of only focusing on the missed scoring opportunities, the Blue Devils used their days off to hone in on their defensive strategy.
"Coach Church has been instilling in our minds that we need to keep playing hard defense because it's something that we can control," freshman KayAnne Gummersall said. "The goals will come with that."
With only two home games left on its schedule, Duke hopes to end the season on a high note. A victory over Clemson would give the Blue Devils an edge in finishing in the upper half of the ACC standings.
"The ACC is always going to be tough," goalkeeper Allison Lipsher said. "The opponent is going to be out there playing just as well, whether it's the first place team or the last place team, it doesn't really matter."
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