After defeating five conference champions in a row on their way to the NCAA tournament title game, the Blue Devils are only 90 minutes away from making history.
Third-seeded Duke battles top-seeded Penn State Sunday at noon at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. in the College Cup final, trying to capture the program's first national title. The Blue Devils and Nittany Lions tied 0-0 after 110 minutes of action in an early-season matchup Aug. 28 but now it is all-or-nothing time for both finalists—if the score remains tied at the end of two overtimes Sunday, penalty kicks will decide who takes home the national crown.
“It is an honor and privilege to be playing this game,” Duke head coach Robbie Church told reporters during Duke's press conference Sunday. “Every team starts off in August with dreams of playing in the national championship game. As a coach you want all of your players to experience something like this."
Duke (14-5-5) enters Sunday’s decisive game with impressive numbers along its back line. The Blue Devils—who have conceded only four goals in their last 11 matches—have shut out three of five opponents in the NCAA tournament, including defending national champion Florida State in Friday's 2-0 College Cup semifinal.
Sophomore goalkeeper E.J. Proctor has posted 11 solo shutouts this year, with one of them coming in the scoreless draw against then-No. 4 Penn State Aug. 28. The keeper from Wilson, N.C., secured a career-best 10 saves against the Nittany Lions and will look to deliver another stalwart performance on the biggest stage of her career.
Proctor, junior captain Christina Gibbons—named a NSCAA Second Team All-America selection this week—and the other Blue Devil defenders will look to minimize the scoring chances of a Penn State that averages 2.4 goals per game. The duo of forwards Megan Schafer and Frannie Crouse leads the Nittany Lions’ attack with 24 total goals, with six of them coming in the NCAA tournament. Forward Mallory Weber is Penn State’s top facilitator with 10 assists.
Penn State (21-3-2) captured the Big Ten championship Nov. 8 thanks to a 2-0 victory against No. 3 seed Rutgers. The conference foes battled each other again in the College Cup semifinal Friday and the Nittany Lions advanced by the same score. Penn State has scored 19 goals in the NCAA tournament while holding all five of their opponents scoreless.
“We need to take the approach that one-on-one is going to be a battle,” Gibbons said during Duke’s press conference. “Every single matchup that we have is going to be a battle that we need to win and nothing really changes aside from the fact that it is a different team. But we go into it knowing that we what to have a two-on-one defensive situation. We always want to have each other’s back and cover for each other.”
Junior midfielder Toni Payne—who has led the team’s attack in the NCAA tournament with three goals and two assists—had a remarkable performance in the College Cup semifinal Friday evening, when the Birmingham, Ala., native assisted freshman Kayla McCoy to put Duke ahead 1-0 in the first half and cemented the Blue Devil victory against the reigning national champion Florida State from inside the 18-yard box with one second to play.
This year, Payne’s role has been critical not only in the attacking third of the field but also when Church’s squad defends. The Blue Devils’ 4-3-3 formation usually becomes a 4-5-1 when they do not have ball possession, with Payne and another striker hustling to get back to midfield in order to collaborate with the defenders.
“As the season went on and the rest of the forwards realized as well that when the other team has the ball, our first priority is to defend because we are the first line of defense,” Payne said during Duke’s press conference. “Taking that and committing ourselves to that has helped us in the long run. Maybe we are not doing well offensively at the moment but one thing that we can do is work as hard as we can defensively and things will play out in the attack.”
If the Blue Devils want to lift the national trophy Sunday, they will need to keep their lines compact defensively and that talented players like Payne do their best soccer of the season in the attacking third.
After four intense weeks of competition in the NCAA championships, the Blue Devils will battle the accumulated fatigue and the typical nervousness prior to a final game by finding inspiration in the support of their families and friends making the 20-minute drive to Cary this Sunday.
“For me it feels pretty special. Being so close to here and training here my whole life growing up and playing at these fields it is kind of surreal playing here and at a stage like this,” said Gibbons, a Raleigh native. “You sort of block it out at the time but it is special to run over to the stands after the game and celebrate with your loved ones."
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