Eating right is always critical before a big game, and if its opponents’ diet is any indication, Duke will need to be prepared for a tough matchup Thursday.
“We’ve been feeding [our players] a steady diet of raw meat, nails, tacks and other sharp objects,” Wake Forest head coach Tony da Luz said of his team’s preparation for its matchup with Duke in Winston-Salem.
No. 3 Wake Forest (11-1-3, 4-0-3 in the ACC) will be the third straight top-10 opponent the No. 6 Blue Devils (13-2-1, 5-1-1) have faced on the road. The contest will also be the first time since the second week of the season that the Blue Devils face a team ranked above them.
The Demon Deacons are the last ACC team unbeaten in conference play, and Duke has not defeated Wake Forest in the past two years. Most importantly, though, the game will be a battle for the conference lead. Duke is currently tied atop the ACC standings with North Carolina and Virginia, but the Demon Deacons trail by just one point.
“It’s a big game,” da Luz said. “There is a lot riding on this result for sure.”
Both teams have recently taken on Tobacco Road rival North Carolina, and though the Demon Deacons came away with a draw, the Tar Heels handed the Blue Devils their first conference loss of the season.
“Often you learn more from a loss than you do from a win,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said. “I think the team has bounced back and is ready to win.”
Duke has had to work hard to recover from several midseason injuries, as junior defender Erin Koballa and leading goal scorer Kelly Cobb have both missed games.
“Kelly Cobb practiced yesterday for most of training,” Church said. “We hope to have our players back on the field, but if we don’t I am not worried. We have plenty of great support on the bench.”
The Blue Devils have managed just two goals in their last four games, but Church emphasized that the injuries were not to blame for the team’s offensive struggles.
“It is very common for this to happen at this point in the season,” Church said. “We are not worried.”
It may be difficult for Duke to reboot its offense against the Demon Deacons, who rely on a strong defense, just as the Blue Devils do. Wake Forest goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe and Duke goalkeeper Tara Campbell have each posted 10 shutouts this season.
“Both teams have given up very few goals,” Church said. “I believe capturing the first goal will be key to winning this game.”
This will also be a personal matchup for Campbell and her teammates. Campbell grew up with Demon Deacon midfielder Ally Berry, playing for the same club teams in Ohio. Blue Devil sophomore Mollie Pathman and Wake Forest defender Kelsey Zalimeni also went to high school together at Durham Academy for two years, and played club soccer at Triangle FC for nine years.
With both team and personal rivalries on the line, Church and his team will have to put their best efforts forward against a well-fed opponent.
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