Following two straight losses to Maryland and Boston College on the road, Duke will look to get back on track against UNC-Asheville. It will be the first of a four-game home stand for the Blue Devils before they compete in the ACC tournament.
Duke (7-6-1) takes on the Bulldogs (3-9-3) tonight at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium.
“The last couple of games we had great opportunities to put ourselves in a position to do damage,” goalkeeper James Belshaw said. “We didn’t take these opportunities. We have a bit of pressure on ourselves now and hopefully we can pull through it and get four wins and head into the postseason with some momentum.”
The Blue Devils’ pair of losses on the road came after seven straight games without a loss. During the streak, Duke outscored its opposition 24-10 and was ranked in the top 25 for the first time since August 29th.
In order to reclaim their spot in the national rankings, Belshaw thinks the Blue Devils need to set the tone early.
“The way we start the game is going to be very important,” Belshaw said. “We have to be the ones that dictate the tempo, especially on our home pitch. One of the big things is getting an early goal and building on that.”
UNC-Asheville’s defense has been porous lately, giving up seven total goals in three straight losses.
Belshaw also says the team will look to improve defensively after giving up six goals in their last two contests.
“We only have two shutouts this year, and we need to address that,” Belshaw said. “We haven’t even had a shutout at home this year. So four games, four wins, four shutouts.”
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