No. 4 Duke is coming off a last-second road win over a top-10 team, but on Friday, the Blue Devils have an opportunity to make their win over Virginia look like a preseason exhibition victory.
Duke travels to Evanston, Ill. Friday at 8 p.m. to play Northwestern, the four-time defending national champion, at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats (10-0) have beaten the Blue Devils (9-2) in the two teams' last three meetings, but last season, Duke led 8-6 at halftime before losing 15-11.
This year, the Wildcats have been as dominant as they have been in years past. Their closest margin of victory was five goals, and the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy winner, Hannah Nielsen, leads the country in points and assists.
Duke, though, is 4-2 against ranked teams, and its 269 total points this season are second only to Northwestern's 276. Plus, the Blue Devils have momentum from their last win, and could parlay it into something more Friday.
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