Duke left the UNC Nike Classic having achieved its top priority—two games, two wins. But back-to-back 1-0 victories by the Blue Devils against Kennesaw State and New Mexico were marred by a slew of injuries, leaving plenty of questions as the team prepares for a tough home tournament this weekend.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in 32 years of coaching, the number of injuries to our team in one weekend,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said.
The injuries started piling up even before Friday’s tilt with Kennesaw State, when the Blue Devils lost junior defender Alex Straton for the season after a nagging leg injury worsened in practice. Then, against the Owls, defender Tabria Williford was kicked in the back of the neck. The junior is being evaluated for concussion-like symptoms and did not dress for Sunday’s game.
The injury bug struck again against New Mexico. Freshman Rebecca Quinn went down midway through the second half and had to be escorted off the field. Church said Quinn re-aggravated her plantar fasciitis, something she has been battling for six months.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, defender Lizzy Raben collided with goalie Ali Kershner, and both players were slow to get up. Kershner was fine and remained in the game, but Raben left the contest holding her head.
The injury report nearly claimed another prominent Blue Devil, as defender Natasha Anasi appeared to roll an ankle after tangling with a Lobo player. The senior was helped off the pitch but returned to the lineup to help Duke close out the game.
Injuries aside, Church said he was impressed by the team’s improvement moving the ball following last weekend’s 1-1 roadtrip.
Against Kennesaw State, Anasi provided the game’s only goal, scoring in the 59th minute off an assist from freshman Christina Gibbons. Duke had 22 shots on goal, after recording just 29 in the previous two contests.
Church said the team’s offensive play was even better Sunday against New Mexico.
“The first 25 minutes gave us a snapshot of how good our team can be, but we’re just not scoring goals, and that left New Mexico alive,” Church said. “We should have had four, five goals at halftime, but we didn’t break their spirit, and they got very physical with us. If we’re up 4-0 at halftime, they’re going to be ready to go back to New Mexico, and they’re not going to fight the way they did [in the second half].”
Duke controlled the ball deep in Lobo territory for much of the first half, getting frequent looks at the goal. Making her first collegiate start, freshman Toni Payne used her speed to run the Lobos ragged, pushing the ball time and again down the middle of the field before dishing to her teammates.
The Blue Devils had 19 shots on goal in the opening period, with forwards Kelly Cobb, Kim DeCesare and Laura Weinberg each having multiple good looks. Duke outshot New Mexico 27-6 on the afternoon, but was held to just the one goal.
In the 20th minute, senior Mollie Pathman lifted a cross from left to right, finding an open senior Kaitlyn Kerr just inside the goalie box. Kerr’s initial shot was deflected by Lobo goalie Cassie Ulrich, but the rebound came straight back to Kerr, who lofted it into the upper left corner of the net.
Scoring three goals in its first four games isn’t exactly what the offensively loaded Duke squad had in mind, but Church isn’t worrying about Duke’s attack yet.
“I’d rather have the opportunities, because I know [the goals] are coming,” Church said. “It’s like a batter in a slump sometimes—you start pressing a little too much with the final shot.”
Although Cobb and Weinberg have had good opportunities to score so far this year, each is still looking for her first goal. Pathman believes both will be fine though.
“We know the goals are coming,” Pathman said. “As soon as the first one comes, the floodgates will open.”
The shrinking depth chart will continue to stretch Church’s lineup, which started five freshmen Sunday against the Lobos. Pathman, a forward, was called upon to switch to defender for the rest of the game following the injuries. With No. 4 UCLA and West Virginia coming to Koskinen Stadium this weekend to take on the Blue Devils in the Duke Nike Classic, Church knows his team will need to heal quickly.
“Those really good teams aren’t going to show any sympathy for our injuries,” Church said. “The next player up has got to be ready—and they will be.”
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