Looking at the Blue Devils’ 0-2-2 record in the ACC makes it seem as if they have struggled mightily in conference play. But after taking a closer look at Duke’s early season schedule, it appears that their dissapointing record does not match their early-season performance.
In search of its first conference victory, Duke (4-5-4, 0-2-2 in the ACC) hosts Miami (7-6-0, 2-2-0) tonight at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium.
Indeed, the Blue Devils’ winless start in ACC play has come after facing three top-10 oponnents, including No. 1 North Carolina on the road.
“[The game] is huge. We only have so few ACC games left,” head coach Robbie Church said. “We all realized that every game that we play is a big game at this point. We have played the upper-echelon teams and got a few ties. But now we’ve got to focus and get the win.”
Duke’s defense has performed admirably throughout the season, holding then-No. 5 Florida State and then-No. 8 Wake Forest scoreless earlier this year. However, both contests ended in nil-nil ties as the Blue Devils’ offense failed them. In fact, the last time Duke scored was in its 2-1 loss against the Tar Heels four weeks ago.
But the Blue Devils will be hard-pressed to earn even a tie if they can not break their scoring drought against the Hurricanes. Fresh off a win against Clemson, Miami has an effective offensive arsenal, scoring an average of 1.32 goals per game while their defense only allows 0.92 goals a game.
“They are a very physical team,” said Church. “They’re big and strong. They will go out there and give us a hard time.”
In addition, the Hurricanes boast junior forward Brittney Steinbrush, who led last year’s squad with eight goals. So far, this year, Steinbruch already has three goals and three assists.
Indeed, Church knows that containing Steinbruch, one of the top players in the ACC, will be a difficult task.
Getting off to a good start offensively could give the Blue Devils the boost they need to control the pace of the game versus Miami. However, Duke hasn’t scored the first goal in a match since a 1-1 tie against LSU Sept. 20.
“We need to get that big goal in the first five to ten minutes. It would change the momentum of things,” junior defender Gretchen Miller said. “It would just give us such a boost of energy, you might even see a different team.”
The Blue Devils’ slow starts have been manifested in their shot totals. In its last game versus the Seminoles, Duke’s shot output was doubled by Florida State, 18-9.
“We need to be more aggressive in the attacking third [of the field]” Church said.
Despite their recent struggles, the Blue Devils are confident that they can compete with any team in the nation after experiencing heartbreak against top ACC teams, and hope to do so tonight against Miami.
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