They had not lost in Koskinen all fall, and despite an early scare, the Blue Devils rebounded to finish the regular season undefeated at home.
No. 6 Duke (15-2-1, 7-1-1 in the ACC) recovered from a lapse in the first 10 minutes to defeat Maryland 3-1 Sunday. Facing a one-goal deficit after just six minutes, the Blue Devils took complete control of the game in the second half to ensure a Senior Day victory.
In spite of the energy generated by the pregame festivities, which honored seniors Emily Nahas, Molly Mack, Chelsea Canepa and redshirt junior Ashley Rape, Duke started the match with little urgency. Duke head coach Robbie Church attributed the slow start to a lack of focus after his team’s upset of Wake Forest last Thursday. The No. 15 Terrapins (9-4-4, 3-4-2) controlled the ball early, creating multiple chances and forcing Blue Devil defenders Natasha Anasi and Erin Koballa to step up and make several attack-halting tackles in the first five minutes.
“We were disappointed with how we started the game and continued on in the first half,” forward Mollie Pathman said. “A lot of it just came down to effort and picking up our defensive pressure.”
Duke, unable to limit Maryland’s opportunities, soon suffered for its sluggish performance as the Blue Devils committed a foul just outside the top of their 18-yard box.
While Terrapin midfielder Olivia Wanger’s free kick did not challenge Nahas in goal, Duke could not manage to clear the ball. After the ball bounced around in front of the net, Maryland defender Lydia Hastings connected on a shot, giving the Terrapins a 1-0 lead in just the sixth minute.
“Maryland came out here today, and they kind of drew a line on the field, and they challenged us, and we had to respond,” Church said.
Struggling to hold the ball on the offensive side, Duke found few opportunities to match the Terrapins early, failing to attempt a shot for over 15 minutes to start the game.
Although Duke gained momentum and managed seven shots for the remainder of the first half, including a crossbar-rattling laser from Pathman, it entered the break losing for the first time since facing a 1-0 deficit against then-No. 1 Notre Dame on Aug. 28.
“We were a bit fortunate to come out of the first half just down 1-0,” Church said.
As the two teams prepared to return to the field, Duke received the added motivation it needed—the announcement that No. 8 North Carolina had lost, giving the Blue Devils the opportunity to seize sole possession of first place in the ACC with just one game remaining.
“That was it,” Pathman said. “We would kick ourselves if we had lost this game and lost the opportunity to become No. 1.”
From there, Duke took command of the game, pressuring the Terrapins far more than in the first half.
Following a foul near the center line, midfielder Kaitlyn Kerr played a quick free kick through to Cobb, catching the Maryland back line off-guard. Cobb, though tripped up by a Maryland center back, powered through into the box. As the goalkeeper rushed out, Cobb slotted the equalizer into the right side of the net just five minutes into the half for her team-leading ninth goal of the season.
No longer under the burden of playing from behind, Duke moved into an even more aggressive style of play, determined to steal back a win.
Midfielder Kim DeCesare reaped the benefits of the Blue Devil attacking strategy as she put in a header in the 54th minute, assisted by Pathman and defender Alex Straton, to take a 2-1 lead.
“We emphasized more on getting our second midfielder into the offense, into the attack,” DeCesare said. “We were able to do that, and that actually helped a great deal.”
To secure the victory, Duke scored a third goal in the 65th minute when Anasi played a lob pass to Cobb, leaving her one-on-one with the keeper. Cobb played the ball across the goal, knowing Pathman was streaking toward the back post. Just edging out her defender, Pathman knocked the precise pass into the empty net, marking the sixth time the two have connected this season.
The three unanswered goals characterized the much-improved Blue Devil play in the second half. Outshooting the Terrapins 12-0 in the period, Duke did not give Maryland another chance to ruin the Blue Devils’ undefeated home record.
“We had the leadership [of the seniors] who led us into the locker room,” Cobb said. “[We] came out with a different attitude, and we showed that and put it away.”
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