After a grueling stretch to begin the regular season, the Blue Devils welcomed the opportunity to play their home opener against an unranked opponent.
Duke (3-1) took full advantage of the break in the schedule, tying a team record for goals in a 9-0 victory over Francis Marion (1-5) at Koskinen Stadium Thursday that was just as lopsided as the score suggested.
“We had such a hard start of our schedule with four games on the road, including an exhibition at UNC-Greensboro,” head coach Robbie Church said. “That’s why we planned this. We felt like we wanted to get a lot of players in the game. We have been playing a lot of players and I think it showed in the sharpness and crispness.”
The No. 15 Blue Devils displayed their precise execution from the get-go, delivering a shot on goal within forty seconds and finding the back of the net in the third minute.
Freshman Mollie Pathman beat the goalkeeper to the ball from eight yards out and finished far post to score her first career goal and give Duke an early lead.
The goals kept piling on from that point. Senior Molly Lester tacked on the second goal in the seventh minute on a ball played from midfielder Nicole Lipp. Pathman added her second score in the twelfth minute to secure the rout.
The Blue Devils continued to pepper Patriot goalkeeper Lauren Vetock in the first half, finishing with 20 shots in the opening period to take a 6-0 lead into intermission.
With the outcome all but decided, Church brought in his substitutes for extended stretches, and the newcomers did not disappoint.
Freshman Kaitlyn Kerr had the highlight of the night on Duke’s seventh goal, even while battling through a knee injury that prevented her from playing in the first half.
Kerr received a ball played down the left flank from redshirt freshman Kim DeCesare early in the second period. After attempting to a play a give-and-go with fellow first-year Avery Rape, she took the ball herself past three defenders and fired a powerful right-footed strike from the edge of the box into the upper 90 for her first career goal.
She followed that up with a similar shot for the team’s final goal, and even contributed an assist on a perfect through ball to forward Laura Weinberg in the 58th minute.
“Every day I don’t even know if I can play so every day I come out here and see if I can do what I can with my knee,” Kerr said. “I just saw an opening, tried to beat a few defenders and put it in the back of the net.”
Kerr is one of several Blue Devils rehabbing an injury. Lester, DeCesare, redshirt freshman Callie Simpkins and Ashley Rape are all on the field after missing the entire 2009 season. And the Blue Devils’ new depth was readily apparent Thursday with seven players scoring and 10 players assisting on goals.
“We are a deep team,” Church said. “It’s nice, total opposite of what we had last year and it shows. The crispness of our play is because we can practice well.
“That’s helped us get to this stage. As we all know there are going to be tougher games ahead. It’s a long season, but I’m just very happy with where we are at this point.”
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