Despite managing 66 shots on goal over two games, No. 4 Duke mustered just six goals on its way to a 1-1 weekend that included a 2-1 upset loss in double overtime to No. 7 Boston College Saturday.
The Blue Devils (8-3, 1-2 in the ACC) bounced back Sunday to defeat Harvard (0-9), 5-2, but the team still failed to capitalize on all its their scoring chances.
"Considering that we took 38 shots today and we only scored five goals, I wasn't happy," head coach Beth Bozman said after Sunday's win. "We have got to find a way to finish. Twenty-eight shots yesterday and one goal is unacceptable, and 38 shots and five goals isn't acceptable either."
In contrast, Duke's opponents managed four goals on only seven shots and made the scoreboard look a lot closer than the game on the field.
"Saturday was incredibly disappointing for us. It was a game that we really dominated, but it's the score that counts," Bozman said. "B.C. played really hard for 100 minutes, and we had one little let up to get them back in the game, and we just couldn't finish."
After sophomore Marian Dickinson scored her 12th goal of the season nine minutes into Saturday's contest, the Blue Devils were held scoreless for the rest of the game, despite several opportunities and 17 penalty corners, compared to just one for the Eagles (9-2, 2-1).
Duke's defense, however, managed to keep the Eagles off the board until Crystal Frates tied the game midway through the second half.
With the score still knotted at the end of regulation, the Blue Devils faced their third consecutive overtime game. In the first overtime, Boston College goaltender Julia Berkowitz held off a flurry of Duke scoring opportunities, recording five of her 15 saves in the period. The Eagles took advantage in the second overtime, as Bob Dirks won the game with her 10th goal of the season.
With the loss, the young Duke squad dropped to 2-2 in overtime games this year.
The Blue Devils came out Sunday determined to capitalize on their chances. Freshman Amie Survilla started the scoring with her fifth goal of the season. Two minutes later, senior midfielder Amy Stopford scored the first of her three goals off a penalty corner. Duke would score twice more before the half to build a comfortable lead going into the break.
"It was a goal of ours to put the ball in the net," Stopford said Sunday. "Because against Boston College, we had tons of opportunities and didn't capitalize, and that's what we wanted to focus on today."
Once again, though, the score did not reflect Duke's dominance on the field. Although Harvard had only two shots all game, it scored on both.
"Certainly letting two goals in this game wasn't what we wanted to do, and I don't feel like we executed as far as that was concerned," Stopford said. "We did only let two shots, but unfortunately they were two goals."
Despite their failure to capitalize, the Blue Devils' strong play was a positive as they finished up a stretch of six consecutive home games. Dickinson added her team-high 13th goal of the year Sunday, and Bozman said she was particularly impressed by the team's passing.
But with a matchup looming against last year's national champions, Maryland, the Blue Devils know they must get more concrete results from their improving play.
"As a team, we are where I'd like them to be," Bozman said. "We're really learning to play with each other, but we have got to find a way to put the ball in the cage."
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