Head coach Robbie Church has repeatedly said that he wants his players to be hungry.
This weekend will give the Blue Devils plenty to chew on.
No. 16 Duke (1-0) plays two games with a quick turnaround beginning Friday at 7 p.m. against Campbell and kicking off again Sunday at 6 p.m. against UNC-Greensboro, with both contests in Koskinen Stadium. The set marks the first of four consecutive Friday-Sunday doubles for the Blue Devils.
"It's really too short of a period to play, but that's college soccer," Church said. "I'm glad we have it because it's time for us to look at [playing twice in one weekend]... but that's tough on the body in this sport."
Fortunately for Duke, the Spartans also play twice this weekend, neutralizing the rest factor-unlike last Sunday's game in which a fresh Blue Devil team dismantled a Coastal Carolina squad that had played a double-overtime clash Friday.
Duke, however, does possess a sizable depth advantage that it will utilize in both contests.
"We plan on playing a lot of players Friday night because Sunday comes another huge match," Church said. "That's my goal, to get a number of players in. Doesn't matter what the score is, to get players in and let them still compete."
Against the Fighting Camels, a team that notched only one win last year, the Blue Devils still have a lot on the line as Church continues to decide on his rotation until the start of conference play. After 22 players entered the game against the Chanticleers Sunday, Church figures to use his substitutes liberally in the next three to four weeks.
Duke also knows better than to underestimate any opponent, especially after its postseason run that was marked by upsets. And the Spartans, who come to Koskinen less than 48 hours after the Campbell game, have given the Blue Devils some trouble in the past.
UNC-Greensboro has faced Duke in the preseason each of the last three years and the two played to a 0-0 tie in 2007. The Spartans are the first NCAA tournament team the Blue Devils will meet this year and finished last season with a higher RPI than Duke, bolstered by a schedule that featured ACC powerhouses North Carolina and Wake Forest-whom UNC Greensboro also played to a tie a year ago.
"UNC-Greensboro is a team that has given us a hard time for the last two or three years," Church said. "They play great against ACC teams and really get up for those games, so that's going to be a good match for us."
Regardless of the opposing team, the Blue Devils are focused on improving themselves after every game as they iron out the kinks that appear at the beginning of each season. While the offense looks to be in prime form after the 9-0 drubbing Duke gave Coastal Carolina, the team still seeks progress on both sides of the ball. Midfielders Lorraine Quinn and Elisabeth Redmond noted that while the chemistry is there, the Blue Devils still need to work on keeping their shape and connecting with one another, especially in the attacking third so that the goals keep coming.
And with positive momentum from last weekend, the players are confident in their ability to maintain that high level of play.
"We're just focusing on playing next weekend; we're just going to build upon our game last weekend," Redmond said. "I'm not overlooking anything, obviously, but I'm not that nervous about it."
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