Stock Watch: Field hockey charges into Final Four, women's soccer on a roll

The bell of the Blue Zone stock exchange has just rung again, meaning it's time to take another look at who is rising and falling with their performances for Blue Devil sports teams. Each week the Blue Zone will look at whose stock is on the rise and whose stock has taken a hit from the week in the world of Duke athletics.

Bull Market-Trending Up

Duke field hockey— After bowing out of the ACC tournament in the quarterfinals against Virginia, the sixth-seeded Blue Devils have won the first two games of the NCAA tournament to return to the Final Four against North Carolina Friday. Sophomore Ashley Kristen scored the overtime winner against Stanford in the first round to propel Duke into the second round, where the Blue Devils’ attack gained revenge on Virginia, scoring two first-half goals that proved to be the difference. The semifinal match against the Tar Heels marks the sixth Final Four appearance for Duke, but this one seems more significant as the Blue Devils will take on their in-state rival. 

Duke women’s basketball— Head coach Joanne P. McCallie has her squad off to a great start, earning two wins in as many games. Sophomore star Azurá Stevens leads the team in scoring, and helped the Blue Devils overcome a third quarter deficit against Penn to ultimately win the contest. Freshman guard Kyra Lambert appears to be an integral part of the team and has averaged 10 points along with 3.5 assists per game. Duke also gained a commitment from high school forward Leonna Odom, the No. 9 overall recruit in the country, this week which will add a burst of athletic play from the perimeter going forward. Meanwhile, excitement continues to build for the Blue Devils matchup this Sunday against Army, where the craziest fan in attendance will receive $1,000.  

Women’s Soccer—Similar to field hockey’s success in the NCAA tournament, the Duke women’s soccer team has won four of its last five games and will look to continue its winning ways in the second round of the NCAA tournament this weekend against Florida Gulf Coast. The Blue Devils were no match for James Madison in the first round, getting five goals from five different players while maintaining rock solid defense to earn a shutout. Taylor Racioppi, Kayla McCoy, and Toni Payne all finished with both a goal and an assist in the victory. This was the squad’s second 5-0 win in a row after blanking N.C. State the week before and it appears that the Blue Devils seem to be peaking at the right time this season.

Bear Market-Trending Down 

ACC Basketball: After sending three teams to the Elite Eight a year ago, the mighty ACC is off to a slow start this season. No. 6 Virginia was upset by George Washington Monday, while N.C. State dropped their first game of the season to William and Mary last Friday. Things have gotten even worse on the women's side of the docket where No. 22 North Carolina dropped its first two games of the season and No. 6 Florida State and No. 16 Louisville both lost to unranked opponents.