With the ACC tournament just two games away, No. 4 Duke (12-4) is looking to create postseason momentum with a victory against No. 12 California (11-3) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Williams field.
After a disappointing 1-0 loss Oct. 14 to No. 3 Old Dominion, which was the team's second this season at the hands of the Lady Monarchs and ended their five game win streak, the Blue Devils hope to redeem themselves by beating one of the nation's top teams.
"It's almost a do-or-die situation," midfielder Marian Dickinson said. "We have to win out the season to get a good ranking in the postseason."
The Golden Bears are a force to be reckoned with, though, and the Blue Devil squad will have to play their best on both sides of the ball to check California's offensive firepower.
In particular, head coach Beth Bozman said her team focused on a strategy to contain Cal's center-forward Valentina Godfrid. Godfrid is the leading single season and career goal scorer in Golden Bears history, and she is ranked second in the nation in points per game and third in goals per game.
Bozman said Godfrid is a dangerous player. The center-forward is coming off a hat-trick performance in a win over Appalachain State, increasing her season total to 25 on a California team ranked fifth in scoring average.
Duke's junior goalkeeper Caitlin Williams is optimistic that the Duke squad is ready to stop any team.
"Overall we're very confident defensively," Williams said. "We think we can handle any team in the country."
Dickinson, Duke's leading scorer so far this season, believes the Blue Devils' offense is well prepared to keep up with California.
"We've been working more on getting the ball up through the midfield to the forwards," Dickinson said. "We just have to capitalize on those opportunities."
Over the past six games, the Blue Devils have been successful in doing just that, outscoring their opponents 22-7. Bozman is confident that her team is capable of keeping up that offensive dominance Saturday.
"I think Cal's a dangerous team, and we know that," Bozman said. "We just want to go out and play well."
Duke's success for the rest of the season and into the playoffs may very well rest on its ability to capitalize on every opportunity it gets. Dickinson believes the match against California is the perfect place to start.
"It's now or never," she said.
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