It's been six years since sixth-ranked Duke last dropped three straight games. But the Blue Devils face the possibility of adding on to their two-game losing streak today at 4 p.m. against No. 12 Notre Dame at Koskinen Stadium.
"Our group as a whole is not used to losing," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "We're just learning how you cope and regroup and get back on the field and keep working with tough games ahead. We don't want to dwell on the fact that we lost two games in a row."
Despite its losses to No. 4 Virginia and No. 7 North Carolina in the last two weeks, Duke (7-3) began showing its abilities in the second half against the Cavaliers. The Blue Devils trailed 8-2 at the intermission, but outscored their opponents 7-5 after the break to make the game interesting. Duke eventually went down 13-9.
"We were obviously upset that we lost but we're upbeat about how we turned the game around," junior Megan Del Monte said. "We tried to put a positive spin on it, especially with the way we were able to come back in the second half."
For Duke to carry its momentum into its matchup with the Fighting Irish (8-3), the Blue Devils' primary focus will be on possessing the ball. More than once this season, Duke has shown how overwhelming its powerful offense can be.
But first, the Blue Devils need to control the ball against a Notre Dame team that ranks fourth in the country in causing turnovers.
"When we have the ball, we can do great things," freshman Sarah Bullard said. "Being able to maintain possession just obviously gave us the ability to have a greater impact in the game. Of course, you can't do anything without the ball, but once we were able to get the draws we found our rhythm on offense."
Much of Duke's success on the offensive end can be attributed to junior Carolyn Davis. The attacker is leading the Blue Devils in both goals and assists, with 31 and 10, respectively. Davis has proven herself to be a consistent scorer, as she has found the net at least once in every game thus far.
Although Notre Dame may attempt to limit Davis' touches and scoring opportunities, Duke can also rely on Del Monte to add to the scoreboard. The junior has 24 goals and 10 assists so far this year, and has recorded a goal in every contest.
Regardless of the team's offensive firepower, a strong outing from Duke's defense will be key in avoiding the nonconference loss against the Fighting Irish. Junior goalkeeper Kim Imbesi had one of her best performances in the last contest, recording eight saves against a Virginia offense averaging over 12 goals a game. Imbesi has a .420 save percentage this season.
Notre Dame has its own offensive star in reigning Big East Player of the Week Jillian Byers, who has scored 49 goals so far this season. For the year, the Fighting Irish average close to 15 goals per contest-good for eighth in the nation.
If the Blue Devils can contain Byers and Notre Dame's potent offense, however, they could get back to the winning ways they've grown accustomed to.
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