Most top-five teams coming off a 6-0 thrashing of an SEC opponent in their only exhibition game would probably leave their starting lineup the same heading into their season opener a week later.
This year's Duke team is not like most teams.
When the No. 3 Blue Devils open the regular season against Wofford Friday at 5 p.m. and Central Florida Sunday at 1 p.m. as part of the UNC Nike Classic, their lineup will be in flux. Duke returns 10 of 11 starters from last year's team that advanced to the national championship game, but is also trying to figure out which pieces in a decorated senior class and three top-six recruiting classes will come together at the right time.
That's why despite blowing out Missouri 6-0 last Thursday, the Blue Devil lineup will probably change for the game against the Terriers at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.
“We’re not set in our lineup at all right now,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said. “I’m contemplating making two changes in our lineup from what we started last Thursday, and it’s not because the girls played poorly, because I don’t think anybody played poorly. We’ll just have to see some other combinations on the field.”
The Blue Devils used all available players on their roster against the Tigers last week, but were also without senior defender and midfielder Rebecca Quinn, who is competing in the Olympics with Canada and missed the preseason. Quinn and her teammates will play Brazil Friday at noon in the bronze medal match.
Even with new lineup combinations, Duke will be the heavy favorites against Wofford, which lost four starters from a team that went 6-8-4 last year. Church and his staff could get a better gauge of how the younger Blue Devils fit Sunday against Central Florida, which is coming off nine straight NCAA tournament appearances and returns AAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Carol Rodrigues.
“This year [the lineup is] going to definitely vary, and could vary game to game, and halves to halves with it too," Church said. “We think we have a core of about 17, 18, and then we can maybe reach farther than that.”
Duke's defense was the strength of last year's team and brings back all four starters, in addition to junior Schuyler DeBree. DeBree was a starter during her first two seasons before suffering a torn ACL last September. She may take the starting spot of sophomore Chelsea Burns, who replaced her in the starting lineup after the injury. DeBree started against the Tigers and Burns came off the bench.
Freshman midfielder Mia Gyau also started against Missouri and could help fill the void left replace the void left by Kara Wilson, who started 23 of 25 games as a senior last year. Junior Casey Martinez could also see time in the midfield and forward spots after recording four assists in four games during last year's NCAA tournament.
The Blue Devils even have options at the goalkeeper position. Junior E.J. Proctor—the NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Player on Defense who set a program record with 11 shutouts last season—returns, but Duke also added Brooke Heinsohn, the top-ranked freshman goalkeeper in the country.
That depth will likely come in handy this weekend when the Blue Devils play two games in less than 48 hours. Duke will have to play two games in three days during each of the first four weeks of the season.
“It’s impossible to fully recover in that amount of time,” Church said. “So you really hope you can limit some players’ minutes early, get some subs, play some other players and then you’re fresh on Sunday.”
During the preseason, Church has implored his team to focus on defense, as it did during last season's postseason run. Last year, the Blue Devil forwards were asked to prioritize limiting opponents' offensive chances instead of eyeing extra scoring opportunities, and Duke's defenders were asked to come forward when the team created scoring opportunities.
That strategy paid dividends because the Blue Devil defenders found the back of the net, with Quinn, fellow preseason first-team All-ACC selection Christina Gibbons and Burns combining for eight goals and seven assists last year.
It looks to be working again early this fall. Last week against the Tigers, fellow defender Lizzy Raben scored her first career goal on a header off a corner kick. With opponents likely focusing on speedy forwards Kayla McCoy, Toni Payne and Imani Dorsey, offensive freedom could continue to work to Duke's advantage early in the regular season.
“During preseason, we spent 75, 80 percent of our time on defense,” Church said. “Defense is more structured, offense is more free-flowing. We don’t want a structure on offense as much, because we have a lot of really creative players, and we want them to go and create things and make decisions.”
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