Duke started two freshmen in the back line for the first time since 2002, but that did not stop the Blue Devils from holding a top-25 opponent scoreless in front of a road crowd of more than 5,000 fans.
With first-year defenders Christina Gibbons and Lizzy Raben earning starting nods, No. 7 Duke shut out No. 12 Texas A&M, winning its season opener 1-0 off a goal from redshirt senior Kim DeCesare in College Station, Texas.
“They’re good talented players, and when we made up the schedule, we knew it was going to be tough, and we knew we’d lose people to graduation, so we knew we’d be younger,” head coach Robbie Church said. “But we want our team to grow over the course of the year, and I think putting them in this environment early in the year and just letting them go is part of the process of getting them ready for the ACC, getting them ready for the NCAA [tournament].”
The starting Blue Devil defense of Gibbons, Raben, junior Tabria Williford, and senior Natasha Anasi held the Aggies (0-1) to just three shots on goal for the duration of the game, giving redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Ali Kershner a less-than-eventful first-career start between the pipes.
At the start of the contest, though, Duke (1-0) faced an early scare. Texas A&M forward Shea Groom wasted no time getting the Blue Devils on their heels, putting a shot on goal just 38 seconds after the opening kickoff. Kershner made the save and Duke gained control of the match from there.
“I wasn’t too worried,” Anasi said. “We came in, and we knew the first 10, 15 minutes were going to be tough just because of the environment that they had out there. So I think when that happened, we kind of just shook it off and were able to keep trying to play our game.”
Anasi, who played a team-high 2,017 minutes last year, again played a complete game, anchoring a defense that finished the night with three freshmen on the field.
“We’re definitely not too experienced of a back line, but we have ‘Tash back there and she can really control things,” said Gibbons, who also played the full 90 minutes. “She’s such a good leader that I felt confident we could come together and pull it off.”
As the Blue Devils settled into Ellis Field, they started to press the home team, outshooting the Aggies 10-3 in the final 32 minutes of the first half.
The score remained 0-0 at the break, but it did not take long after the restart for Duke’s potent offense to break through. DeCesare, who registered 16 goals last season, put Duke up by one in the 52nd minute, assisted by another Duke freshman, Toni Payne.
“Toni Payne slipped her a nice little ball,” Church said. “[DeCesare’s] touch went a little bit wide. I was a little bit concerned with that but she brought it across the body and to the far post on the ground with pace on it. She just finds a way to score big goals.”
DeCesare, who started the game at the attacking midfield position but moved around the front line, played an integral role to the Blue Devils’ hot start last season as well, scoring five goals in Duke’s first three games.
“We have to keep her around the goal,” Church said. “Whatever position… she has a nose for the goal.”
Tasked with preserving the shutout to ensure a victory, the Blue Devil back line held strong despite increased pressure from the home squad.
Although the Aggies outshot Duke 8-6 in the second half, Anasi and the new faces in the back did not fold.
Anasi made a saving tackle in the box, Church said, and the Blue Devils escaped an 89th minute header from Aggie forward Annie Kunz that just went over the crossbar.
“They don’t lose many times at home,” Church said. “So to go in there and get a win and start the season off like that, I’m very proud of our team."
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