Duke has posted several quality wins over strong opponents so far this season, but they are not out of the woods yet. They have taken on numerous top teams, but more ranked opposition looms ahead.
The No. 4 Blue Devils (11-1-0, 3-0 in the ACC) will put their current seven-game winning streak on the line when they host No. 13 Virginia (8-2-1, 2-1) Thursday at 8 p.m.
Duke has struggled against the Cavaliers of late, registering just one win against them in seven matchups since the 2005 season.
“I think they’re one of the most talented teams we face all year,” Church said.
Virginia is also coming into this game having won two of their last three games, most notably a 1-0 double overtime decision on the road over then-No. 5 North Carolina last Sunday.
“Their midfielders are really mobile and really good. I think that’s going to be one of the key battles,” Church said. “I think as always when two high-level ACC teams play each other, it’s going to come down to who’s going to score on their opportunities.”
Although the midfield battle will be crucial, possibly the most important matchup will be the Blue Devils’ defense against a high-powered Virginia offense. In Duke’s 2-0 victory over Clemson last Sunday, the Tigers managed only one shot on goal the entire game. The anchor of Duke’s defense, junior goalkeeper Tara Campbell, currently ranks second in the ACC with a 0.44 goals against average, having allowed only five goals in 12 games.
“It’s not just what our backs have been doing, it’s our forwards as well.” Campbell said. “We’ve applied high pressure [on defense] all year and it’s really worked out for us.”
The Blue Devils’ defensive unit will have its hands full with the Cavaliers’ midfielders and forwards. Virginia sports the highest-scoring offense in the ACC, averaging 3.0 goals per game, headlined by junior forward Caroline Miller, whose 10 goals on the season are the second-most in the conference. Despite Miller’s scoring abilities, Campbell was adamant that the focus of the Blue Devils be team defense.
“You can’t focus so much on one player, especially with a team like Virginia,” Campbell said. “If you waste your time with one player, you’re going to lose sight of all the other talent.”
Church contends that this team philosophy applies not only to defense, but on offense as well.
“If we’re going to win this, we’re going to win this as a whole team. One individual is not going to win it for us,” he said. “We’re going to have to connect on the offensive side of the ball, be aggressive in the final third, and then defensively we’re going to have to be fearless.”
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