Duke had a 31-2 shot advantage in 110 minutes of play Saturday but could not generate a lead in the only category that mattered—the final score.
Poor choices around the goal sunk the No. 24 Blue Devils (2-2-1) into a 0-0 tie with UNLV (2-1-2) at Koskinen Stadium, just two days after they scored three goals in 24 minutes against UNC Wilmington.
“I’m brokenhearted for [the team] because we’re working really, really hard, but it’s unfortunate—we’re not making some good decisions down in the final third [of the field],” head coach Robbie Church said. “We’re knocking a lot of balls at the goalkeeper and we’re making a lot of goalkeepers look like All-Americans.”
Duke showed improvement in its offensive buildup, moving the ball quickly through the midfield to the forwards, especially in the first half. But every time the Blue Devils seemed poised to take the lead, UNLV found a way to keep them off the scoreboard.
One particularly frustrating offensive sequence came in the 25th minute after senior midfielder Elisabeth Redmond launched a corner kick into the goal box. Junior Marybeth Kreger put her head on the cross, and the ball deflected off a Rebel defender into the path of senior Jane Alukonis. Alukonis ripped a shot to the bottom right corner of the net, only to see it saved by the leg of another defender standing right on the goal line.
Duke directed several shots throughout the game right at UNLV goalkeeper Alicia Lugo, and while she tallied 11 saves in the contest, many of them were not difficult plays.
“I thought we settled for shots,” Church said. “Unless we’re going to hit a really good shot at the corners, we weren’t going to score from distance. We had people taking shots that they probably shouldn’t shoot from the distance they were.”
Redmond, however, almost capitalized on a precision strike from well outside the box with a minute and a half left in regulation. The ball was tracking into the top of the net until Lugo managed to get a fingertip on the shot, causing it to bounce off the crossbar.
In addition to the finishing woes, the Blue Devils also struggled to deliver quality set-up passes for shots. Crosses from the flanks into the box were not finding their targets and timing on runs was also an issue—Duke was caught offside seven times within the first 30 minutes of the game.
“I think that our final ball, mine included, was a little off today, and that happens,” Redmond said. “We’re doing everything right. I think we’re getting there and then there’s mental breakdowns, or balls coming out of the midfield are going to the goalie. That last piece of the puzzle just needs to come together.”
With the score tied at the end of regulation, the Blue Devils entered the two 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods looking to send more players on the attack. Duke had plenty of chances in the last 20 minutes, but again could not execute in front of the goal.
A score seemed inevitable in the second overtime period when Redmond found space on the right side of the field and picked out junior Rebecca Allen with a cross to the six-yard box. Unfortunately, Allen, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, did not get enough power behind her shot and set up an easy save for Lugo.
In the first overtime, UNLV almost made the Blue Devils pay for squandering their numerous opportunities. About four minutes into the period, the Rebels played a ball over the head of defender Meaghan FitzGerald and went on a fast break. But freshman goalkeeper Tara Campbell responded by coming off her line and making a game-saving tackle.
Duke’s defense turned in an excellent overall performance, posting its second consecutive shutout. The back four, featuring three freshmen starters, held the Rebels without a shot on goal in the first half and only gave up two shots the entire contest.
“We’ve really developed a trust together, and it has taken a little bit [of time],” junior defender Gretchen Miller said. “I think we’ve got a little bit to go, but if we can keep putting up zeroes, I think that’s a good step for us.”
The next step, then, is for the Blue Devils’ results to match that effort over the course of the game.
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