The Blue Devils did not let a change in playing location throw off their hot play, as they picked up their fifth straight win to start the season.
Playing at the West Campus turf fields, No. 6 Duke turned in another solid performance, downing William & Mary 17-7 to clinch its fifth straight win. The 5-0 opening by the Blue Devils is the best since 2008.
Coming into the game, Duke was playing its third game in seven days and was fresh off a road upset of then-No. 5 Northwestern. Blue Devil head coach Kerstin Kimel knew that the Tribe was not a team to be overlooked—Duke barely edged out an 11-8 victory last year in Williamsburg, Va.—and pointed toward the men’s basketball’s victory against Clemson Saturday as a similar performance.
“We used the basketball team as an example. If you watch that team and Coach K and watch how animated he was yesterday, he understood that was the ultimate trap game,” head coach Kerstin Kimel said. “This game, being wedged between Northwestern and Notre Dame, it could’ve been the same thing for us. I think it’s a sign of maturity for our team.”
The Blue Devils, much like men’s basketball, came out of the gate strong Sunday. Senior Chelsea Landon posted a hat trick in the first half and was one of seven Blue Devils to find the back of the net in the opening 30 minutes.
By the time the buzzer rang for the half, Duke had amassed an 11-0 lead, marking the first time the Blue Devils have held an opponent scoreless in a half this season.
“A lot of people have stepped up this year and made it difficult for defenses to mark one person,” senior Kerrin Maurer said. “In a couple different games, we’ve had nine different scorers, and that was huge for us. Moving forward, I think that makes it difficult for people to stop us.”
The second half was more of the same for the opening 13 minutes, as Duke netted the first three goals—two coming from Maurer—to go ahead 14-0. But as impressive as the Blue Devil offense was, it was the defense that once again came up big for the home squad.
Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Duryea bolstered the defense with a season-high 10 saves in her 49:52 in the cage. It was not until her 42nd minute protecting the net that the Tribe finally managed their first goal of the game, dashing any thoughts of what would have been Duke’s first shutout since a 2013 victory against Providence. But even with the goose egg on the board for the majority of the game, Duryea said she and the defense did not pay attention to it.
“I like to not think that because I feel like if I do, my mind’s not in the right place,” Duryea said. “[I am] just thinking about the next shot that’s coming. If it’s a goal, it’s a goal and I just move on to the next shot. Obviously, I’d like it to be a save, but I think today we just did a great job looking forward to the next shot.”
Shutout aside, there is something that might be worth paying attention to in regards to the defense’s performance—for the first time since 2006, the Blue Devils have held their first five opponents to single digits. Part of the success has come from Duke’s ability to field five players who all have at least a year of experience under their belt.
“Defensively, we’ve been working on our communication and chemistry,” Duryea said. “A lot of us have played together for two years but there are some new girls getting in. Really just working to get the chemistry and anticipating what each other’s going to do, we work on that in practice, and games are great for that.”
The Blue Devils played Sunday’s game on the West Campus turf fields due to flooding in the corners of Koskinen Stadium. The unusual game environment marked the second time in as many games that Duke was forced to play in an odd setting, as it defeated Northwestern at its indoor facility Thursday.
Part of the Blue Devils’ success has been a result of their ability to adapt to different challenges, and Sunday’s change in location—announced Saturday—was another example of the focus the team brings into each game.
“A theme for us this year is we’ve got to be adaptable,” Kimel said. “Here, there, everywhere—it’s been a tough travel week. I think our kids have responded really well, and I’m really proud of them.”
Duke will have a week off to rest after its whirlwind week before opening ACC play Sunday March 1 at home against Notre Dame.
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