Heading into this weekend, No. 11 Duke knew that winning both of its contests was almost imperative to qualify for postseason play.
And the Blue Devils (9-6) showcased that intensity with two offensive explosions, steamrolling Longwood (5-11) Saturday 4-0, before defeating No. 10 Old Dominion 4-1 in Norfolk, Va. The win over the Monarchs (8-7) Sunday avenged a 1-0 home defeat Sept. 16.
"We talked about putting together two halves," head coach Beth Bozman said. "We knew that if we wanted to get into the [NCAA] tournament, we had to come out on top. It was a tremendous team effort."
The biggest difference between the Duke squad that fell to Old Dominion in September and the one that played Sunday was the ability to convert offensive chances.
The Blue Devils struck first at the 17:40 mark, with sophomore Lauren Miller scoring off a penalty corner opportunity. After the Monarchs evened the score, Duke forward Marian Dickinson connected on another penalty corner less than two minutes later. The Blue Devils continued rolling in the second half, as sophomore Amie Survilla and Dickinson both found the net in the second half to quash any hopes of an Old Dominion rally.
"Our biggest key was sticking to our gameplan," Survilla said. "We played a really good team, and our passing was amazing. Our forwards played awesome."
As in its earlier matchup with the Monarchs, Duke outshot Old Dominion, this time by a 15-6 margin. This time, though, the Blue Devils finished near the net.
Survilla's elevated play lately has been crucial to Duke's recent success. The forward has scored four goals over the last three games and is becoming a consistent offensive contributor.
"I've been really focusing in practice on how to improve," Survilla said. "The biggest problem before was the mental aspect. Each game, I'm building more and more confidence."
Dickinson also continued to demonstrate her offensive prowess, notching two more goals this past weekend to bring her season total to eight.
For the Blue Devils, the positive results are a manifestation of the attitude that the team had been continuously preaching in practice. The team's intensity and focus ensured that over four halves, Duke never let up.
"We knew that we had to beat ODU to get into the [NCAA] tournament," Bozman said.
And with only three regular-season games remaining before the ACC tournament, the Blue Devils' win column is increasing at the right time.
Duke believes that the biggest change between its sluggish start and its recent victories is improved team chemistry.
"I think that we're really peaking right now," Survilla said. "We're winning games that we need to win, and it's such a major improvement. We're finally connecting."
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