When the Blue Devils last played then-No. 5 Florida State Oct. 22, they dominated the second half, posting three goals to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit.
Given Duke's second half performance in that game, the seventh-seeded Blue Devils like their chances tonight in the first round of the ACC tournament against the second-seeded Seminoles at 5:30 p.m. in Cary, N.C.
"We did play the best we did all year against them," senior Sarah McCabe said. "We can say, 'Hey, it must be something about them that brought that out in us.'"
Duke's last matchup against No. 7 Florida State snapped a three-game winless streak and effectively turned the team's season around. Tonight's game has greater implications-with a win, the Blue Devils can almost guarantee themselves a spot in the 64-team NCAA tournament field.
"We really need to get this win to make sure that there's absolutely no way for them to say that we don't have the qualifications to get in the NCAA tournament," McCabe said.
Despite Florida State's ranking and successful ACC season, Duke has reason to be confident.
As the Blue Devils proved, Florida State is vulnerable to their high-pressure offense. Part of Duke's success was the element of surprise-the Seminoles were cruising at halftime but struggled when the Blue Devils became the aggressors in the second period.
Florida State will expect the frenzied attack tonight, but that does not mean Duke's game plan will change.
"It will be similar, but at different times, we're going to have to pick and choose," head coach Robbie Church said.
Duke enters tonight's game coming off an up-and-down weekend. The Blue Devils beat Miami 3-0 in Coral Gables, Fla., giving them a chance to finish second in the ACC. On Sunday, however, they lost a 1-0 decision to Wake Forest, dropping them down to seventh in the conference standings.
One of Duke's season-long strengths, though, has been its resiliency-the Blue Devils figure that the ACC tournament provides an ideal time to bounce back.
"We're aware that we had been playing really great, and we had one game that wasn't so great," McCabe said. "That doesn't mean that we're not still capable of playing great."
The hectic travel weekend forced Church to adjust his team's practice preparations. Instead of heavy, physical workouts, the Blue Devils practiced penalty kicks Monday and worked on their mental approach Tuesday. Both days allowed Duke to sufficiently rest for the tournament.
This ACC tournament marks the nine Duke seniors' last conference tournament. It also provides them an opportunity to continue a streak-Duke has advanced to the semifinals in the last four years.
"Every game from now on, you either go home or make it on to the next round," senior Darby Kroyer said. "We have to have the attitude that this could be our last game ever."
With the possibility of their season ending tonight without an NCAA tournament berth, the Blue Devils enter the game with a do-or-die approach.
"I think that it's going to be a positive pressure," McCabe said. "These aren't regular season games anymore that we can make up for with a win next weekend. That little bit of urgency will bring out the killer instinct in us."
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