After running through the ACC tournament by defeating N.C. State, fifth-ranked Maryland and top-ranked Wake Forest, Duke was rewarded by the NCAA selection committee Monday afternoon.
The Blue Devils (16-3-1) are the top seed in the 48-team tournament and will host the winner of Adelphi and Brown at home Nov. 15. For the second straight year, Duke is guaranteed at least one home game in the tournament.
The trip to the tournament is the Blue Devils' third straight and sixth in the last eight years.
"It definitely makes a difference," sophomore forward Mike Grella said. "It makes us more confident and more comfortable. Home field is a huge positive factor."
After the second round game, however, the Blue Devils could have a difficult road to the championship game. Duke could face No. 14 Lehigh in the third round. And if ninth-seeded Clemson, which was ranked in the top 10 in the country prior to the ACC tournament, wins its second and third round games, it could play Duke in the quarterfinals. The Tigers beat the Blue Devils, 1-0, Oct. 28 in the teams' only clash this season.
Also on Duke's side of the bracket is fifth-seeded Maryland and fourth-seeded Virginia, both of which were also ranked in the top 10 heading into the ACC tournament. Although the Blue Devils beat the Terrapins, 1-0, in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, they also fell at Maryland by the same score earlier in the season. Duke beat the Cavaliers, 2-1, in the regular season match between the two squads.
Looking ahead to these potentially difficult matchups is a mistake the Blue Devils cannot afford to repeat. Last year, Duke was upset at home by 11th-seeded Creighton in the second round of the tournament.
"The players remember last year very well," head coach John Rennie said. "It's a part of everyone, and the memory is certainly still there. We'll be ready this year."
In particular, the Blue Devils hope to get ready for the NCAA tournament after a taxing ACC tournament. The conference tournament exhausted Duke, much like it did last year.
"The first game of the NCAA tournament is the hardest," Rennie said. "We just played three games in five days, and we are totally drained."
Nevertheless, last year's loss should motivate the Blue Devils to be extra sharp in the second round this year. Seeded even higher this year than last year, Duke believes it can go far in the College Cup, which concludes in St. Louis Dec. 3.
"We're a lot more united than we were last year," Grella said. "We aren't going to let each other down like we did last year."
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