When the Blue Devils took the field in Washington, D.C. for the first round of the NCAA tournament, the team found itself in an unfamiliar role: the underdog.
But that didn't stop Duke from reaching the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year, as the Blue Devils defeated No. 6 Georgetown Sunday 10-8. It was the second time Duke (12-7) topped Georgetown (12-7) this year, as the Blue Devils won 12-11 March 15.
Nerves got the best of the Blue Devils early on, as the Hoyas exploited the tentative Duke defense to score back-to-back goals 2:30 into the first half. Once the Blue Devils regrouped, however, they responded with their own offensive array, netting four straight goals to take a 4-2 lead.
"At first everyone was a little hesitant on defense," head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "We weren't being aggressive enough. But then we finally got in the groove and really clicked better. We started rotating on our slides and that really helped."
Because of the early setback, the Blue Devils' defensive adjustments paid off, as Duke clamped down to force eight Georgetown turnovers. The Hoyas were held scoreless for key stretches, including the last 14 minutes of the first half. When the Blue Devils faced scoring droughts of their own, their defense kept them ahead for the majority of the game.
But no one may have been more crucial to Duke's victory than junior goalkeeper Kim Imbesi.
With the Blue Devils clinging to a 10-8 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the second half, Imbesi shut down Georgetown's attempts at any late-game heroics. The junior notched four of her nine saves in the final 1:32 to put the Hoyas away.
"[Imbesi's] saves and our defense playing tough and forcing poor shots from Georgetown was huge for us," Kimel said. "[In the second half], we kept putting them on the eight meter, but our defense pressured, making them take good shots and [Imbesi] had great saves. Our defense has come a long way."
Senior Aiyana Newton and sophomores Sara Giedgowd and Betsey Sauer rounded out Duke's defense, shutting down two of the Hoyas' leading scorers. Only Georgetown midfielder Patty Piotrowicz foiled the Blue Devils, as the senior netted a career-high four goals.
Across the field, Duke's offense was anchored by junior Carolyn Davis, who added four more goals to her already impressive season total. The attacker now ranks fourth in Blue Devil history with 55 goals.
Sophomore midfielders Lindsay Gilbride and Danielle Kachulis each chipped in two goals for Duke.
With the first round behind them, Duke now travels to familiar territory for the tournament's quarterfinals. The Blue Devils take on No. 3 Maryland May 17 in College Park, Md. In their first matchup of the year, Duke prevailed 12-11 on March 1 in Durham. Much like they did against Georgetown, the Blue Devils hope to use their previous experience to give them an edge against the Terrapins.
"Our big key is going to be the draw," Kimel said. "With ACC Player of the Year Dana Dobbie, we know that Maryland is unbelievable at the draw. We're going to have to make things happen on the defensive end."
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