On a weekend defined by strong defense, No. 4 Duke managed to split its two games in Norfolk, Va., beating No. 17 William & Mary (8-6), 3-1, Saturday, and falling to No. 3 Old Dominion (14-2), 1-0, Sunday.
Sunday's loss was the second time this year the Blue Devils (12-4, 2-2 in the ACC) lost to the Lady Monarchs by a margin of one, having fallen 4-3 in double overtime Sept. 17.
"We came out very flat," head coach Beth Bozman said Sunday. "We had a game plan that we didn't execute in the first half."
Old Dominion outshot Duke nine to five in the first half, though neither team could score until the final minute of the period. With 23.7 seconds remaining in the half, Lady Monarch Jo Ann van Aswegen managed to slip in the only goal of the game.
Although the Blue Devils bounced back in the second half, strong defense from Old Dominion held Duke to just one second-half shot and kept Duke from knotting the score.
"To their credit, they played a very smart game plan," Bozman said. "They managed to isolate our play very well. They had a really fast-paced passing game."
The loss broke a string of five consecutive victories for the Blue Devils, including an upset of No. 1 Maryland Oct. 7.
"We know what we are capable of now and we've done it against Maryland," Bozman said.
Duke showed what it was capable of Saturday, complementing its strong defensive play with two goals by freshman Amie Survilla and one by senior Hilary Linton. Survilla's two goals give her eight on the year and helped to show how the Blue Devils' once-young offense has matured.
"We were young to start the season," Bozman said. "We're not young now."
Duke has had the opportunity to outgrow its youth against tough opponents throughout the year, having now played five contests against fellow top-five teams. The Blue Devils are 2-3 in those matches.
"The top four teams keep banging on each other's doors," Bozman said. "Maryland beat Old Dominion on Saturday and we had opportunities today."
Although the Lady Monarchs managed to hold the Blue Devils scoreless, Bozman thinks the minor setback will be corrected before the team plays the final two games of the regular season.
"I would call this weekend a learning weekend," Bozman said. "We will make adjustments and be fine for next time."
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