A game this early in the season cannot truly be a must-win, but avoiding a three-game losing streak heading into the heat of ACC play is just about as important as it gets.
The Blue Devils will open up ACC play at home Friday night at 8 p.m. in a matchup against No. 12 Virginia (3-1). No. 25 Duke (1-3) is hoping to rebound from two difficult losses in the Duke/Nike Classic this past weekend, where it dropped consecutive overtime matches to No. 9 UC-Santa Barbara and No. 17 SMU. Despite the weekend’s disappointing results, the Blue Devils remain optimistic about their prospects against yet another tough opponent.
“We feel like we deserved more this past weekend,” sophomore midfielder Rob Dolot said. “We had a really tough practice on Tuesday to help us get back into the right mindset and win this game.”
Dolot believes that this past weekend’s matchup against Santa Barbara will be particularly helpful as preparation for this Friday’s game against a historic ACC power.
“It’s always good to be put in positions to play top teams,” Dolot said. “Especially in this case, because both [Santa Barbara and Virginia] play very similar styles.”
In practice this week, the team prioritized both attacking and defending in the final third, Duke head coach John Kerr said. Kerr believes that improvement in these areas is essential to his squad’s chance of success on Friday.
“The last couple of games, we’ve done really well in the middle of the field,” Kerr said. “Our issues have primarily been in attacking and defending the final thirds. We need to sharpen up there.”
Kerr too remains highly optimistic about his team’s chances despite its early season difficulties, and in discussing potential areas for improvement also saw a number of positives in his team’s performance in the Duke/Nike Classic.
“We did a great job of maintaining possession and didn’t give opportunities away,” Kerr said. “Unfortunately the few times we did, they capitalized and we got punished.”
Critical to Duke’s success this weekend will be the performance and leadership of its veterans, particularly senior midfielder Christopher Tweed-Kent and junior Andrew Wenger, who has played a variety of positions this season. Tweed-Kent, who tied for the ACC lead with 11 assists last year, will be crucial in creating opportunities against Virginia’s athletic and physical defenders. Wenger, the reigning ACC defensive player of the year, has made an immediate impact at forward this season, notching three goals and 15 shots in the Blue Devils’ first four games. His ability to finish opportunities in the final third will be essential to Duke’s prospects on Friday.
And undoubtedly, the Blue Devils’ highly-regarded duo of star freshmen, Andrew Morales and Nick Palodichuk, will also have a significant impact on the results of Friday’s match. Both have played nearly every minute of the early season, with Palodichuk recording his first career goal against Santa Barbara.
Ultimately, however, Duke’s chances for a bounceback victory depend on its ability to engineer a hard-fought, collaborative team effort.
“Every time you play [the Cavaliers],” Kerr said, “it’s a physical battle, and we have to understand that it will be physical and as a group work to surpass that mentality.”
duo of star freshmen, Andrew Morales and Nick Palodichuk, will also have a significant impact on the results of Friday’s match. Both have played nearly every minute of the early season, with Palodichuk recording his first career goal against Santa Barbara.
Ultimately, however, Duke’s chances for a bounceback victory depend on its ability to engineer a hard-fought, collaborative team effort.
“Every time you play [the Cavaliers],” Kerr said, “it’s a physical battle, and we have to understand that it will be physical and as a group work to surpass that mentality.”
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