For some Blue Devils, a Countdown to Craziness will not take place at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but the sunny valleys of California.
When Duke plays its nationally televised match at California-Santa Barbara tonight, attendance may top 5,000, and the crowd will be as intense as any the team faces all year.
“We’re excited to be on a big stage,” said head coach John Kerr, who predicted large, hostile crowds reminiscent of Oct. 3’s Maryland contest.
Following an unsatisfactory scoreless tie against ACC rival N.C. State last Friday, the No. 19 Blue Devils (5-2-4) now look to pick up a key non-conference win against the Gauchos (6-3-2) tonight at 11 p.m.
Though Santa Barbara does not appear in the rankings, it should be a difficult match for Duke, which has battled inconsistent play all season. Notably, the Gauchos have been competitive with other top teams, even beating No. 13 UCLA 2-0 on Sept. 24. Kerr has made the team aware of this, ensuring that they do not overlook their unranked foe.
“Even if it doesn’t show in the polls, they’re a real top team,” Kerr said. “They are awesomely talented, and are very much in the same mold as Maryland with their pressuring and talent level.”
For Duke to come out victorious, the main improvement from their last game will have to come on offense, which despite numerous opportunities failed to score against NC State. Much of that offensive firepower lies within the foot of sophomore forward Ryan Finley, who as of the beginning of the week was tied for second in Division I goals scored with 10.
“I think NC State played tentatively so it was pretty hard to break them down, but things don’t go your way every game,” Finley said. “We’re still confident going into tomorrow that we’ll be able to develop chances and score.”
Indeed, much of the match will come down to offensive execution—especially since the two teams are so similar defensively. While the Gauchos rank 25th in the country defensively with an average of 0.68 goals against per game, the Blue Devils post a slightly better average at 0.67 goals.
“Well, I think we’ve worked a lot on positioning, we’re more compact, and the guys––as far as communication goes––we’re doing that really well,” sophomore goalie James Belshaw, who has not allowed a goal in his last two games, said. “If we don’t concede goals, then we can’t lose.”
Duke looks to stay on top of its game tonight, as a key stretch soon awaits. After this match, three of the team’s final five matches are against ACC teams.
Still, the Blue Devils know they would be making a mistake to look past the Gauchos.
“I’m not worrying about out the next few games,” Kerr said. “I’m just worried about what we’re doing tomorrow night against Santa Barbara.”
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