In its final game at home this season, No. 4 Duke left little doubt about which team deserved to move on to the final four.
After narrowly edging James Madison 3-2 in overtime Saturday, Duke (16-5) dominated No. 5 Ohio State (15-4), 3-0, in second round action Sunday at Williams Field. With the win, the Blue Devils clinched their fourth consecutive final-four berth and a semifinal matchup in Winston-Salem with ACC tournament champion Wake Forest.
"We played probably the best we have all year," head coach Beth Bozman said. "We had a gameplan that we really executed, and we were able to finish."
Duke got out of the gate by scoring the game's first goal when sophomore midfielder Ashley Pultorak slammed home a loose ball in front of the Ohio State net 13 minutes into the first half.
The Blue Devils continued to keep the pressure on and scored their second goal two minutes before halftime when sophomore midfielder Marian Dickinson scored off a crisp pass across the circle from freshman midfielder Lauren Miller. Senior midfielder Cara-Lynn Lopresti picked up the team's final goal in the second half.
The Blue Devils' forwards were effective around the goal, and their persistence never allowed Ohio State to get back into the game.
"The early opportunities that Duke got-they put them away and then they just built on that momentum," Ohio State head coach Anne Wilkinson said. "This game has a lot to do with momentum, and they just started to connect with each other and never let go. They were a strong team today."
Duke's defense was nearly airtight, as its heavy pressure allowed only 10 shots and no goals. Junior goaltender Caitlin Williams was also superb, recording two saves and her sixth shutout of the season.
"We had to communicate the whole game," senior defender Amy Stopford said of her team's defensive effort. "I think that everyone stepped up in this game. The forwards were playing defense just as much as the backs."
Duke won its opening round game with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over James Madison (14-8) Saturday. After surrendering 1-0 and 2-1 leads in regulation, the Blue Devils won on an overtime goal from senior midfielder Hilary Linton-her third game-winner this season. There was some controversy surrounding the placement of the ball on a foul before the goal was scored, but the officials said the goal would stand, giving the Blue Devils their sudden-death win.
"[James Madison] didn't think that the ball was inside the circle, but it was," Linton said. "It's the end of their season now, so you want to make sure that it is a legitimate goal, but it was legitimate."
For their semifinal matchup Friday, Duke will face a familiar foe in Wake Forest. The Blue Devils lost their only meeting this season with the Demon Deacons, 3-0, Sept. 9 in Winston-Salem and have faced Wake Forest in each of their three previous final fours. Although Wake Forest defeated Duke in both the 2003 and 2004 championship games, the Blue Devils knocked them out in the semifinals of last year's tournament.
Bozman said a familiar formula will be necessary to repeat last year's outcome.
"[We must] play like we played today. Bozman said. "We know what this feels like and we want to bring this game to Winston-Salem."
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