After the Blue Devils’ 3-1 loss to Florida State Oct. 3, head coach Robbie Church warned that a five-minute stretch can change any game.
His admonition became reality last night as No. 22 Duke (6-4-3, 0-3-1 in the ACC) lost to the Hurricanes after they scored two goals in the game’s final two minutes of play. The Blue Devils controlled the ball for the majority of the game, and outshot Miami 17-7, but Duke saw the game fall from its grasp when Brittney Steinbruch scored in the 89th minute. A second goal from Tara Schwitter with one second left in the match gave the Hurricanes (8-3-1, 2-1-0) the 2-0 win.
Church and the players were all frustrated with the team’s inefficiency in the loss—the Blue Devils created several scoring chances in the game, but they were unable to capitalize on them. They outshot Miami 10-0 in the first half, and freshman Natasha Anasi got off three shots of her own during the game, but it was all to no avail.
“We worked so hard all week, in training, in scouting and in pregame preparation,” Church said. “They were ready to play, but we need to finish opportunities and score goals.”
Church stressed that he is proud of this team and does not doubt their ability, despite their winless record in conference play.
“They want to do well and they’re playing hard,” Church said. “I think we can win out the rest of the season. We just need to finish up each game.”
Senior captain Molly Lester shared Church’s optimism and disappointment that Duke is still winless in ACC play.
“I cannot believe we aren’t getting the results because we have been playing so well,” she said. “The ball will bounce our way and the postseason will be a positive experience for us.”
Church and his coaching staff now look to change up some of the team’s formations to try to figure out a winning strategy for the rest of the season. He is considering playing an additional player up front, and he said the team will work on getting forwards the proper space to start scoring goals.
These changes will get a test when the Blue Devils return home to Koskinen Stadium Sunday at 2:00 p.m. for a matchup with Clemson (5-7-0, 0-4-0). Church said he is expecting to see a lot more confidence from the team on Sunday.
“Nobody is dropping their heads and nobody is quitting,” he said. “We are still here together and we are going to get through this.”
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