Missed chances.
That is what the No. 10 Blue Devils (8-1-1, 0-0-1 in the ACC) will remember after a 0-0 draw against No. 15 Boston College (6-1-2, 0-0-1) Thursday night in Koskinen Stadium. While Duke dominated possession and easily outshot the Eagles after halftime, it could not come up with the breakthrough goal for a win.
It wasn't exactly the start to the ACC season that head coach Robbie Church had dreamed of-especially because it could have been different.
"We missed three sitters," said Church, visibly frustrated after the game. "Perfect opportunities."
Church changed his formation to begin the second half on the attack after the scoreless first. He switched from the 4-4-2 to the 4-3-3 in order to have an extra player in the front third. The plan worked on every level-except, that is, on the scoreboard.
"We know every ACC game is going to be a battle," defender Christie McDonald said. "We are going to have to fight for every goal and defend for our lives."
No one could accuse Duke of not fighting. With Church screaming, "Step up the pressure," the first 10 minutes of the second half produced a plethora of scoring chances. The difference between the first half and second was visible.
"We didn't play as well as we were capable in the first half," Church said. "I thought we were a step slow."
After the first 45 minutes, the Blue Devils dominated time of possession. But even after earning five corner kicks in the second half alone, the Blue Devils could not slip a goal by Boston College goalie Jillian Mastroianni.
The Eagles' goalie also may have handed Duke its best scoring chance of the night. In the 63rd minute, McDonald hit a free kick into the box that Mastroianni bobbled and then dropped, giving Duke's KayAnne Gummersall an attractive chance from inside the box. But Mastroianni made up for her mistake with a diving stop, ending the Blue Devils' early second-half pressure.
The Blue Devils were stingier in allowing chances. Duke's aggressive style allowed it to outshoot Boston College 10-5 in the second half and both overtimes combined.
Boston College looked determined to grind out the game, seemingly satisfied with a draw. It even substituted a player with less than half a minute to play in double overtime in order to run out the clock.
In the end, the Blue Devils couldn't capitalize when it counted-Mastrioianni batted away yet another Duke free kick with under two minutes remaining in the game, when the final score was all but decided.
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