August 27, 2014

the chronicle

BRIANNA SIRACUSE/THE CHRONICLE

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

august 27, 2014

Men’s Soccer: World Cup trip brings team closer together• Volleyball: Reload and Repeat

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The Chronicle

Volleyball

Blue Devils aim to repeat as ACC Champions Olivia Banks Beat Writer Every new squad comes with its own set of new difficulties, but with the 2013 ACC Championship under their belts, the Blue Devils are eager to face these new challenges head-on, and develop a cohesive and successful team.

With the addition of four new freshmen, the team dynamic is shifting, according to sophomore outside hitter Jordan Tucker. However, the team is gaining four unique personalities and playing styles, and both players and coaches alike feel that only good things will come from these developments.

“It’s a brand new team,” Tucker said. “The freshmen bring a different vibe and different playing experiences to our team and I think it is making us better.”

Along with the changes to the roster, head coach Jolene

Nagel said she has witnessed profound improvements in the skill levels of the returning players.

“That’s what so exciting about working with a new team,” Coach Nagel said. “Everyone has matured and grown so a lot of things change now, but this team has a lot of potential.”

Nagel has been impressed by the skill that the squad has displayed in maintaining a competitive, yet sportsmanlike environment. She is confident that the improvement she has seen in the upperclassmen will encourage the rookies to continue competing as hard as they have been in preseason.

“We’re all developing right now,” Nagel said. “Trying to figure out who is going to be in what role, some players are getting new opportunities and there has been some great improvement in the last year. The freshmen are solid and are doing a tremendous job.”

See Volleyball on Page 8

Beat’sTake The Scoop: Finishing first in the ACC and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, the Blue Devils open the 2014 season prepared to defend their conference crown. Ranked No. 21 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, Duke returns touted upperclassmen eager to clinch a second-straight automatic bid for national championship play.

Deichmeister led Duke and the ACC in assists with a 11.38 assists per set average and earned an AVCA All-American honorable mention.

Key Players: Outside Hitter Emily Sklar—The reigning ACC Player of the Year, Sklar will again look to drive the Blue Devils’ offense by surpassing the mark of 400 kills in a single season.

Games to Watch: Sept. 6 at No. 16 Michigan State, Nov. 13 vs. No. 13 Florida State, Nov. 26 at No. 20 North Carolina

Setter Maggie Deichmeister—Starting all 33 games last year as a junior in her first completely healthy season,

Defensive Specialist/Libero Sasha Karelov—With the shoes of three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Ali McCurdy to fill, Karelov will step up on the back line after amassing 265 digs last year to trail only McCurdy.

Prediction: Second in the ACC, NCAA tournament second round —Ali Wells

Dayou Zhuo | Chronicle File Photo

Reigning ACC Player of the Year Emily Sklar will look to follow up a stellar sophomore campaign with another ACC title.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 | 3

Field Hockey

Duke looks to rebuild and repeat 2013-14 success Delaney King Beat Writer On a chilly November evening in Norfolk, Va., eight members of the Duke squad took the national championship loss to Connecticut a little bit harder than the rest.

Seven seniors and one graduate student said farewell to a team that hasn’t recorded a larger graduating class in the last 30 years. What remained were 13 returners hopeful for another successful season and eagerly awaiting new faces to replenish the squad.

“We carry a fairly small roster,” head coach Pam Bustin.

“We’re 20-22 kids, so we’re hoping everybody’s going to pull an oar. You’re in the boat—pull an oar. Hopefully everybody at some point will make an impact this season.”

The Blue Devils need every player to make an impact—especially on the scoring end. The loss of six starters left holes in many positions on the field, but one of the largest was the void once filled by senior forward Emmie Le Marchand. The Worcester, England, native led the team in both goals and assists last season, notching more than twice as many goals as the next leader.

“Every year you find different ways of [finding] your scoring strengths—you have to find that,” Bustin said. “Some years it’s the corner unit or some years it’s just people coming out. One year I think we had five or six, we probably had five of our players in the scoring margin…. I don’t care how we do it, honestly, as long as it gets done and we’re able to put the points on the board at the end of the game.”

Even with Le Marchand, points were hard to come by last year. Duke’s offense stayed out of the top 25 offensive rankings with its average of 2.58 goals scored per game and ranked last in the ACC in scoring average. In comparison, the other three teams to reach the 2013 Final Four—Maryland, North Carolina, and Connecticut—were all in the top 11 nationally for both offensive categories.

How did the Blue Devils finish as national runners-up when they were pitted against such intimidating offenses? Although the saying “defense wins championships” wasn’t entirely true for Duke, defense won just about everything else. Not only did the Blue Devils crack the top 25 for goals against average, they also ranked sixth nationally in save percentage.

If retaining backfield experience is what Duke needs to succeed, its chances are better than expected after losing so many pieces of last year’s roster.

Although the squad lost six of eleven starters, three of the five returners form the core of the Blue Devil backfield.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing, junior defender Amanda Kim and junior midfielder Aileen Johnson were all named to the All-ACC Preseason team and will look to help Duke remain dominant on the defense end. The trio of experienced defenders not only provide continuity from last year to this but also serve as leaders for the incoming freshmen.

“Everybody’s been so welcoming, and I think we’ve really meshed well together,” freshman defender Alexa Mackintire said. “Because I play in the backfield, I would say definitely the goalkeepers and the other backfields are definitely [leaders] for me.”

A stalwart defense nonetheless can’t win games without an attacking presence. With the front third under the most construction from last year’s championship squad, Duke’s forwards will have to find new ways to score without Le Marchand.

“We have so many great forwards coming in, and we have a lot of good corner shooters. I just feel that we’re all going to fill the role and score as much as possible,” sophomore forward Heather Morris said. “I don’t think this year it’s going to necessarily be one key player. I think we’re all going to contribute, and we’re going to have tons of different people scoring.”

One of the most important returners for the Blue Devils never enters the field of play. Now in her fourth season as head coach, Bustin’s success in 2013 did not finish with her team’s trip to the national championship.

Bustin was named NFHCA South Region Coach of the Year and also became a member of the USA Field Hockey Hall of See Field Hockey on Page 7

Dayou Zhuo| Chronicle File Photo

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing will be one of the Blue Devils’ returning leaders and will provide some stability in the net for Duke.

Beat’sTake The Scoop: After a trip to the national championship last year, all eyes are on the Blue Devils as they attempt to recover from the staggering loss of more than half their starting lineup. If the offense can convert scoring chances into scores, the returning backfield is up to the challenge of protecting a Duke lead. The Blue Devils are sure to pose a threat in conference and were predicted to finish second behind North Carolina by the ACC’s head coaches.

Key Players: Redshirt junior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing — ranked fifth nationally in save percentage and will play on the 2014-15 U.S. National team.

Senior forward Jessica Buttinger — second-leading scorer during the 2013 campaign and started every game of last season. This year she pairs up with fellow forward sophomore Heather Morris to lead the offensive attack effort.

Games to Watch: Home matchups against Princeton Sept.

5, UVA Sept. 19, and North Carolina Oct. 17, as well as a game on the road to close out conference play Oct. 25 at Syracuse.

Prediction: Fifth in the ACC, NCAA tournament second round —Delaney King

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Women’s Soccer

Healthy Blue Devil seniors look to go out on top Doria pushes freshmen to set the bar high

Cobb looks to regain form and return to College Cup Ryan Neu

Matt Pun

Beat Writer

Beat Writer

It’s hard to top a season that garners you national recognition. As senior Kelly Cobb found out rather quickly, it’s even harder when that season is your freshman season.

When Cobb came to Durham from Chugiak, Alaska, she had high hopes for herself and for her team. But not even she envisioned the impact she would have immediately for the Blue Devils. During a season that resulted in a trip to the NCAA National Championship, Cobb totaled 31 points on her way to being named to Soccer America’s All-Freshman First Team, the All-ACC second team and the ACC’s All-Freshman team.

But it wasn’t just that she was so effective in the attacking third, it was how she was going about it. Cobb is a natural center forward who loves to attack defenders and take them on in one-on-one contests that more often than not end in her favor. And this aggressive style of play—which has proven time and again to work to her advantage—may have something to do with where she comes from.

“I had a unique experience as a player since I’m from Alaska,” Cobb said. “I got a different aspect of training than other players coming from other clubs. I got more individual training, and [I’m] more comfortable with 1-v-1’s down in the attack and getting turned and taking on defenders versus maybe a more tactical player who’s been coached on that area.”

But a roller-coaster freshman campaign was just the beginning of Cobb’s experience as a Blue Devil. After falling in the national title game, she didn’t have much time to dwell on the loss with her teammates as she had surgery on her ankle to repair some lingering damage from the year, then headed to Japan to compete in the U-20 World Cup with the United States.

After the bitter defeat that came just a few months prior, Cobb was able to taste the ultimate victory for the first time in her collegiate career as the U.S. claimed gold in Japan. But that victory came with two costs.

The first was to her health. While in Japan, she tore some cartilage in her knee which was

for the first time in three years, the 5-foot-10 forward is completely healthy. Not only that, but she has been able to practice and train with her team throughout the offseason. And this is a very different team than she has ever played with before at Duke.

This season’s Blue Devils are incredibly young and though they are talented, the underclassmen will need a leader on the attack, and that’s exactly the role Cobb plans to fill.

“It’s definitely different being an upperclassman,” Cobb said. “It’s weird being in the leadership position, but I think what the younger classes bring in is a lot of talent, a lot of energy, and a lot of enthusiasm and they’re willing to listen to what we have to say. Obviously we have experience as seniors because we’ve been to the national championship; we have advice that we can offer to them.”

Head coach Robbie Church knows the importance of having Cobb back at top form to this team, especially considering its youth.

“We have to have a great year out of Kelly. She has to provide us an offensive spark,” Church said. “She’s healthy and she’s having fun and she can run without pain… She’s playing at a very high level and we have to have her playing at a really high level. She’s one of our top attacking options and Kelly has to provide goals and assists for us and really be a dangerous player for us off the dribble, off

Long before they set foot on East Campus together, Duke’s highly touted freshman class did something else as a group.

Responding to a request from captain Gilda Doria, a redshirt senior who sat out all of the 2013 season recovering from a torn right ACL, the eight Blue Devil newcomers changed their phone backgrounds to the logo for the 2014 College Cup in Boca Raton, Fla. “She showed us that final four picture with Boca Raton and was like ‘we want to be there,’” freshman forward Imani Dorsey said. “Why not go out and especially give it to the seniors because they deserve it?”

As a sophomore, Doria started 23 games in the midfield and scored the game-winning goal—and her only one of the season—against Long Beach State to send her team into the 2011 College Cup, college soccer’s version of basketball’s Final Four.

After falling in the quarterfinal game the following year, Gilda and her fellow seniors were hungry to make one last deep run in 2013 when she tore her ACL in the spring. Now, Doria is without classmates Mollie Pathman, Kim DeCesare and Natasha Anasi, who are playing professionally around the globe, as well as Laura Weinberg and Kaitlyn Kerr, two fivegoal scorers last year.

Although the cast around her has changed, the desire remains the same, and she has made sure it’s on the agenda far before the first game.

“She was one of the first people that reached out to us freshmen,” defender Morgan Reid said. “I’m sure the other girls as well as me were a little intimidated to begin with because she was so intense from the get-go and we were still in high school and she was talking about this upcoming fall, and we were like, ‘we’re not even there yet.’ Once we got to know her and actually meet her in person, we realized she’s just so invested in this team.”

Doria’s efforts have proved extremely important in light of the injuries and roster adjustments the Blue Devils have already faced less than a week into the regular season.

See Cobb on Page 7

See Freshmen on Page 8

Brianna Siracuse | The Chronicle

After her electric freshman season ended in a loss in the national championship game, senior Kelly Cobb is aiming to bookend her Blue Devil career by writing a different ending. serious enough to hinder her level of play, but not serious enough to require immediate attention.

The second was to her chemistry with her team. Cobb missed the first nine games of the season for the Blue Devils, and she missed an additional four games with an ankle injury.

With so much time spent apart from her team coupled with the injuries she was fighting through, Cobb wasn’t able to find the same magic she found her freshman year as her team went down in the national quarterfinals.

But that doesn’t mean that the whole experience didn’t come with a silver lining.

“You just learn to appreciate the game so much more,” Cobb said. “I think that the injury just gives you perspective on how much you love the game. Every moment, every second, every day that you step on that pitch you should appreciate it. It’s an honor to put on the Duke jersey—to put on the USA jersey— and to just wear that with pride.”

After having another surgery—this time on her knee—Cobb missed another spring of practicing with her team and instead spent the time rehabbing so she could be cleared in time for her junior campaign. That season she was able to get a little bit closer to regaining her freshman form, accumulating 17 points and starting in 23 of the team’s 24 games, but it ended in a similarly disappointing fashion with another knockout in the quarterfinals.

Now she returns for her senior season, and

Beat’sTake The Scoop: This year’s squad features a lot more young talent than any in recent memory with Top Drawer Soccer’s second-best recruiting class coming to play for the Blue Devils along with several contributing sophomores, two of whom—Christina Gibbons and Rebecca Quinn—are fresh off playing in the U-20 World Cup. With so many underclassmen playing central roles for this team, it will be on the shoulders of veterans such as senior Kelly Cobb and redshirt senior and captain Gilda Doria to keep this team on track.

Brianna Siracuse | The Chronicle

Midfielder Gilda Doria returned to the pitch last weekend after missing the entirety of last season with a knee injury, but her leadership remains a steadying presence for the Blue Devils.

Key Players: Forward Kelly Cobb — Cobb has the versatility to play anywhere in the attacking third and has a natural ability to push the pace and find the back of the net.

Midfielder Gilda Doria — After missing all of the 2013 campaign with a torn ACL, Doria is looking for a bounce-back season to end her Duke career.

Defender Lizzy Raben — A sophomore from Colorado, Raben is the only returning center back from last season’s squad and with a young defense, Raben has to be a leader of Duke’s back line this season.

Games to Watch: Oct. 19 vs. No. 4 North Carolina, Oct. 23 vs. No. 3 Virginia, Oct. 31 at No. 2 Florida State Prediction: Third in ACC, National Quarterfinalist —Ryan Neu

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Men’s Soccer

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 | 5

A SUMMER ABROAD

Davis’ time in Europe paying dividends heading into senior campaign

World Cup trip brings Blue Devils together Brian Pollack Beat Writer

Chris Dieckhaus | Chronicle File Photo

A summer trip to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil gave the Blue Devils time to build team chemistry and compete against Brazilian club teams, exposing the squad to a new style of play.

Madeline Carrington Beat Writer After soccer took him to Spain, Sweden and Brazil this summer, Sean Davis returns home to lead his young squad in his last season.

Entering his second campaign as captain and bolstered by his recent selection to Top Drawer Soccer’s Division I Best XI, Davis looks to ride preseason momentum to the top of the ACC standings.

Although many student athletes are obligated to stay on campus or take classes over the summer, Davis used his final summer in college to focus on soccer. He traveled to Europe to practice with teams in Spain and Sweden and then capped off the summer with a National Premier League Soccer Championship with the New York Red Bull’s U-23 squad. Davis also traveled to Brazil with other members of the Duke team to watch some of the FIFA World Cup. “This summer I fully committed to soccer. Other summers I had to take classes,” Davis said. “I tried to play my best all the time, and opportunities fell into my lap.

That was just an incredible experience to be around professionals, let alone legends like Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer.”

Davis was the second highest-scoring player on the 2013 Blue Devil squad, won All-ACC second team honors and was voted offensive MVP by his teammates. Expectations for Davis are even higher this year after he was recently named to the College Soccer News All-America third team in addition to his Top Drawer Soccer honor.

After two disappointing seasons in which the Blue Devils lost in the first round of the ACC tournament and twice failed to qualify for the NCAA postseason, head coach John Kerr took a gamble this year in recruiting 13 freshmen. The addition has posed a unique challenge to Davis as he must successfully orient and incorporate the new players while capitalizing on the opportunity for fast improvement. “ W e knew going into the summer that this was one of the biggest challenges facing us—almost half the team [is freshmen],” Davis said. “The coaches have done such a great job of bringing on great kids with great attitudes. Me and the rest of the captains have kept in touch with the

freshmen over the summer to make sure that they’re prepared. Right from the first time we had practice, I could tell that they were special.”

The 2013 Duke squad totaled eight ties, almost matching their total number of wins. In addition to the influx of new talent, Kerr organized a new formation in order to promote offensive output in tight games. The Blue Devils now use three backs and five midfielders (instead of the usual four and four) and use their wings to create space on the field.

“We try to get the ball out as wide as we can—we get our guys pretty high up on the line,” junior captain Zach Mathers said.

“When that can’t happen, we go through Sean as much as we can, and our wide guys open up, which creates a lot of movement.

The last two years have been pretty disappointing. I think this year we have a great chance of being one of the top teams in the ACC and making a far run in the NCAA tournament.”

So far, it looks like the changes have paid off. The Blue Devils swept preseason games See Davis on Page 7

Occurring only once every four years, the FIFA World Cup is a sporting event unlike any other. While most people were glued to their TV sets during June and July for the 2014 edition of soccer’s biggest stage, the Blue Devils were right in the middle of the action in Brazil.

A massive undertaking like a team trip to the World Cup doesn’t happen overnight, and it took a full-fledged effort from everyone involved to raise the necessary funds and plan out the duration of their stay.

“It was a four-year process,” head coach John Kerr said. “We planned to go to Brazil when we saw that they were being awarded the World Cup. We took a trip four years before that to Barcelona. [I] said, ‘Okay, the next trip, boys, is going to be to Brazil for the World Cup.’ Their eyes lit up and I could tell that they wanted to go. Four years of fundraising... with great support from the alumni in particular, parents, we were able to make it happen.”

Duke touched down in Rio June 15—just three days after the tournament began— and set off on a busy schedule that would take them through their eight-day stay in Brazil. The team itinerary incorporated a mix of soccer and sightseeing activities, highlighted by the chance to watch three matches live from the stands.

Luckily for the Blue Devils, two of the matches they saw were jam-packed with classic World Cup excitement. The team was able to watch Belgium squeak by Russia 1-0 thanks to a header Divock Origi in the 88th minute, and also took in witness Chile’s impressive 2-0 upset against a favored Spanish squad.

“The games were probably my favorite part,” senior captain Sean Davis said. “We did a lot of sightseeing, but for me, my favorite part of the trip was seeing Spain and Chile play. That game was just unbelievable—with the fans and a former World Cup champion, that was unbelievable; we loved that part.”

The Blue Devils did much more than just See World Cup on Page 7

Beat’sTake The Scoop: The Blue Devils have a nice mix of youth and experience, with several highly touted freshman coming in to supplement an offense that returns its top five points leaders from last season. Plagued by inconsistent play a year ago, this Duke squad certainly has the talent to compete atop the ACC. Key Players: Midfielder Sean Davis—The senior captain tied for the team lead with six goals last season and was named to the Preseason All-American Third Team.

Most of the Blue Devil offense runs through Davis, and he is crucial to any success they could have this year.

Forward Brody Huitema—The senior was the team’s overall points leader a year ago and racked up a team-high 52 shots. If the British Columbia native can build on that performance, Duke’s offense could prove to be a nightmare for opponents.

Goalie Joe Ohaus—Ohaus, a true freshman, has been getting the bulk of the time in net and will replace Alex Long, who gave up less than one goal per game last year while starting every game in net.

Games to Watch: Sept. 19 vs. North Carolina, Oct. 11 at Virginia, Oct. 17 vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Fifth in the ACC —Brian Pollack

Xirui Liu | Chronicle File Photo

Senior forward Brody Huitema was the team’s point leader last season and will be one of the Blue Devils’ main offensive threats this season.

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Cross Country

Sophomores to bolster depth in post-Bottorff era Ali Wells Beat Writer A host of new faces will toe the line for Duke this season, but not all the Blue Devils looking for a fresh start are new to the collegiate environment.

Juliet Bottorff, the team’s consistent top finisher and 2013 ACC conference meet champion, wrapped up her final season as the only Blue Devil to reach the national championships, leaving Duke ready to rebuild its roster this year by turning to the sophomore class and a Blue Devil with only one collegiate meet under her belt.

This season promises the chance for sophomore Wesley Frazier to put last year’s setbacks behind her. Expected to make an immediate impact as one of the women’s top finishers, Frazier was only able to compete in one meet in 2013. She contracted the flu early in the year along with several of her fellow freshmen, but returned to practice too soon after her symptoms subsided and relapsed.

Beat’sTake

The Blue Devils’ most touted recruit in recent memory was forced to sit out the rest of the season to rest and recover. Then, suffering from injury in February, she missed the entire track season.

“I had never gotten hurt before that and never missed more than a day or two for sickness,” Frazier said. “It was a big setback. It was tough seeing them continue to run. But I supported them and cheered for them.”

The first high school girl to win the “long distance triple”—the 1,600, 3,200 and 5,000 meters—at the New Balance Nationals in June of 2013, Frazier collected eight national titles and 17 All-America honors in her high school career. Now, more than a year removed from that success, Frazier is looking for a fresh start with new head coach Christine Engel.

Engel’s new position was announced in early August after Kevin Jermyn stepped down in July. Serving as the men’s and women’s head coach at Elon for the past six years, Engel’s team competed against the Blue Devils See Cross Country on Page 8

Chronicle File Photo

The Blue Devils will lean on their sophomore class following the loss of Juliet Bottorff to graduation.

Beat’sTake

Women’s Cross Country

and eight national titles.

Men’s Cross Country

The Scoop: A young Blue Devils team with new head coach Christine Engel will look to rebuild the team after losing star Juliet Bottorff. After being plagued by injury and illness last season, the sophomore class hopes to lead Duke back up to the top of the conference.

Sophomore Hannah Meier—Despite also suffering from illness in the 2013 season, Meier was a top performer for the Blue Devils at the adidas Challenge and Southeast Regional Championship. She and her twin sister Haley both look to cross the line as consistent top scorers.

The Scoop: The Blue Devils look to rebuild their scoring lineup after losing top finishers Brian Atkinson and Mike Moverman. Falling short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships in 2013, Duke will look to its sophomores and juniors to step up as consistent scorers to keep postseason goals in the picture.

Key Players: Sophomore Wesley Frazier—Although the most touted recruit in recent memory, Frazier was only able to compete in one collegiate meet in 2013 due to illness. With a clean bill of health for the season, she is prepared to add to her resume that includes 17 All-America honors

Meets to Watch: Sept. 26 at the Battle in Beantown, Oct. 11 at the Royals Challenge, Oct. 17 at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational

Key Players: Senior Shaun Thompson— Riding the momentum of a successful outdoor track season, Thompson is poised to lead the Blue Devils across the line and improve on his fourth-place finish at the ACC Championships last season.

Prediction: Fourth in the ACC

—Ali Wells

Sophomore Stephen Shine—Shine high-

lighted his freshman season with breakout races at the Bull City Classic and Furman Cross Country Challenge. With another year of training under his belt, he could establish himself as a consistent top-finisher.

Freshman Matt Lupino—Entering collegiate competition with an impressive high school resume, Lupino will look for an early opportunity to contribute to Duke’s success.

Games to Watch: Sept. 13 at James Madison Invite, Sept. 26 at Panorama Farms Invitational, Oct. 18 at NCAA Pre-Nationals Prediction: Seventh in the ACC —Ali Wells

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WORLD CUP continued from page 5

watch soccer, as they took to the field themselves for practices and matches against third division professional club São Cristóvão F.R.—the first club soccer legend Ronaldo played for as a youth—and local club Arraial de Cabo de Rio de Janeiro. Duke was shut out by São Cristóvão 4-0 before clawing its way to a 2-2 draw against Arraial de Cabo.

No longer playing within the familiar confines of Koskinen Stadium, the Blue Devils faced their fair share of obstacles as they competed on foreign turf. From spotty field conditions—some of which Davis described as “as bad as I’d ever played on”—to a possession-oriented and technique-heavy approach to the Brazilian game that bears little resemblance to the physical nature of ACC play, Duke encountered numerous unfamiliar aspects of a game they are quite familiar with.

“They play a lot more possession-style game,” junior midfielder Zach Mathers said. “It’s a lot different than here where in the ACC it may not be all possession, it’s more of a hard kind of game. They keep the ball more and play better soccer, I’d say, than here [in the U.S.]. It was a nice change—we learned a lot from going down there and we learned this season to play a little like that.”

If the preseason is any indication, the Blue Devils have certainly transferred those lessons from the fields in Brazil back to campus, where they have won each of their three exhibition contests and outscored their opponents 12-3.

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Duke’s strong team chemistry fostered in Brazil has enabled it to move forward from last season’s inconsistent results while also having to transition with a large incoming class of 13 freshmen.

In order to seamlessly integrate a talented freshman class—the newcomers accounted for four goals in the three preseason games—and strengthen team camaraderie, the Blue Devils arrived on campus a full week before they started training. The extra time put in together during the offseason—both on and off the field—has allowed Duke to avoid some of the rust typically associated with starting a new season, and given the players an opportunity to hit the ground running when the real games begin.

“For this summer, being with the guys again and getting some games in, that definitely helps,” Davis said. “Then on top of that, we have a really committed and dedicated [freshman] group this year. We were able to come back and spend time together, and so I think that’s helped and you can see that through the preseason results.”

Preseason success is no sure indicator of regular season victories, but the Blue Devils are excited and optimistic as they approach their regular-season opener Friday against Loyola Marymount. And even if the season doesn’t quite live up to expectations, their trip to the World Cup will stay with them for years to come.

“The whole trip was the trip of a lifetime for these guys, and me as a coach,” Kerr said. “I couldn’t have enjoyed it anymore.”

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 | 7

FIELD HOCKEY

DAVIS

Fame for her contributions to the sport. Beyond the X’s and O’s, Bustin attributes the Blue Devils’ championship run to a season full of hard work and belief.

“They knew what made that happen, which is a lot of hard work and positive belief,” Bustin said. “Keep the grind going and…keep believing in one another—everybody matters.”

against College of Charleston, Radford and Old Dominion—a feat not achieved since 2003. The three games showcased a remarkably different squad and style of play from last year: the once-sickly Duke offense outscored their opponents by a 12-3 margin.

“We’ve gotten off to some pretty slow starts,” Mathers said. “I think being 3-0 in the preseason has given us an awesome amount of confidence going forward. Last year we didn’t have the offensive weapons we needed. With this new formation it allows our attacking guys to really move forward and be dangerous. You can tell by the goals we’ve already scored this season. It’s been awesome to see our offense explode.”

As a member of the 2011 squad that made the second round of the NCAA tournament, Davis knows some of the differences between a successful and a stagnant offense, and he hopes his experience will keep the 2014 squad firing through the regular season.

Through the many transitions he’s faced as a player, Davis is grateful for the experiences he’s had as student athlete and is hopeful for the upcoming season.

“Personally, I’ve become a much more well-rounded person [since coming to Duke],” Davis said. “I’ve exposed myself to great opportunities that Duke has to offer. On the field, I’ve been able to take my game to the next level. I really can’t complain about anything, and I’m really just looking forward to this senior season.

I think we have all the tools, we just have to go out there and perform.”

continued from page 3

COBB

continued from page 4 the pass, in combination play, and being able to run at players.”

Despite all the accolades she has received throughout her career and bringing home a gold medal for her country, Cobb remains unsatisfied. After coming within inches of a national title, the only goal she has for this year is to bring home a title to Durham.

For her, personal accomplishments only mean so much. The ultimate goal is about her team. It’s about her school. It’s about giving her last opportunity everything she has and leaving a lasting imprint on the program that she has given so much to and has given so much to her.

“I want to end my career out with a national championship, and I think anything else is less than satisfactory,” Cobb said. “I know that back when I was a freshman we went all the way to the national championship game—unfortunately we lost—but I still think every year that I’ve had at this program we’ve had the talent to go all the way so I’m hoping senior year I’ll end it right.”

continued from page 5

The Iron Dukes is known for building champions in athletic competition, in the classroom, and in the community. To continue our trajectory of excellence, we must continue to provide the necessary support for the future successes of our world class student-athletes. Now is the time to make investments that will build champions.

Sandy Choi, Sophomore

@theirondukes

Amile Jefferson, Junior

The Iron Dukes

The Iron Dukes

theirondukes

8 | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014

CROSS COUNTRY

FRESHMEN

at numerous meets throughout the season, so she is familiar with the program and Frazier’s difficult freshman year. “[Wesley] is healthy,” Engel said. “I know last year she had some challenges with being sick and so forth but she’s healthy and fit right now. Some athletes use that as a huge source of motivation and commit to that mentality of having a little redemption.”

Frazier’s classmate Hannah Meier also struggled with the illness that ran through East Campus last year, then suffered minor injuries for the remainder of the season. She also will be looking for a healthy, fresh start this season.

Her twin sister Haley was able to stay healthy and make an immediate impact, crossing the line as Duke’s third finisher at the ACC Championships and placing 27th overall with a time of 21:26.00 for the 6,000-meter race.

Even with the setbacks the team faced last season, Frazier remains optimistic about the team’s potential this season, hoping that Duke can build confidence and focus less on expectations.

Engel encourages a positive practice environment, and Frazier said that training has even been more fun. With less focus on expectations, the team will have a clean slate and a healthier attitude.

“It’s more about the attitude of the team and our own expectations,” Frazier said. “I was kind of afraid of the expectations for our team this year because last year we kind of blew up.

I think as a team we could be in contention at ACCs and some of the bigger meets, surprising a lot of teams. I think some people are writing us off.”

In preseason practices, Doria suffered a pulled hamstring that kept her out until last Tuesday, sophomore Malinda Allen went down with an undisclosed ailment, and the program announced that redshirt sophomore Cassie Pecht would be undergoing season-ending knee surgery for the second straight year. Additionally, Duke practiced without sophomores Christina Gibbons and Rebecca Quinn, who had been representing the U.S. and Canada in the U20 World Cup, until last Tuesday as well.

With so many different personnel changes, the Blue Devils’ veterans have played a major role in helping TopDrawerSoccer.com’s thirdranked recruiting class.

“We’ve definitely become closer, and we’re starting to learn each others’ tendencies on the field, each others’ personalities. The older girls were so welcoming in the beginning so it wasn’t hard to let loose and be yourself around them,” Dorsey said.

Doria has not been the only leader making a big impact on the young team. Dorsey said she has looked to senior Kelly Cobb as role model on the front line and admires her instinct to take on defenders, and redshirt junior forward Duke’s six sophomores, who combined to start 89 games last year, have set up a buddy system with each of the freshmen.

Despite Doria and her teammates’ efforts to integrate the freshmen, the Blue Devils have dropped their first two contests for the first time since 1999. They lost 1-0 Friday to an Ohio State team that had beaten No. 14 Wake Forest in exhibition play and 2-0 to No. 6 Stanford Sunday.

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Gibbons and Quinn gradually worked their way into the lineup, starting Sunday, and Doria came off the bench in both contests, but Duke did not manage to put together a sequence to finally find the back of the net.

“I’m a little more anxious than I’ve been in probably three or for years, which is kind of a fun anxious a little bit too because you just don’t know,” Church said. “You kind of knew what was there with our veteran groups, and you knew what they were most of the time going to do. And I say most of the time. But with a new group and the transition with it, it’s been fun though. These are really really good kids and a talented group.”

After the team’s loss to Stanford Sunday in the Blue Devils’ first match with the Cardinal since the 2011 final, Doria emphasized that the squad’s inexperience should not be an excuse.

But she also insisted that the losses to two top-tier opponents provide just the opportunity to play well in the long run, bringing that perspective to keep the team learning in hopes of turning a squad loaded with potential into a title contender.

“We’ve got a long ways to go,” Church said.

“We want to take it one game at a time and get better at this point, but... this program will always have the goal of playing for the national championship. There’s a lot of steps that have to go in between but just to have a player step forward and say this is my last year, my last go-around, I’m going to do everything I can to get us to a national championship game, that’s good.”

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With the loss of senior captains Ali McCurdy and Chelsea Cook to graduation and junior Elizabeth Campbell to transfer, the squad is looking for leaders not only to fill the roles they left behind, but also to bring something unique, both on and off the court.

Although replacing teammates brings its own set of challenges, the squad is looking forward to embracing the recent roster change and building their own conference championship-caliber team.

“It’s been really different not having them here, but not in a bad way,” sophomore defensive specialist Sasha Karelov said. “I’m excited to see how our captains this year will do a good job in their own way. We really want to focus on this year and making our own memories.”

Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Tucker agreed that everyone is trying to keep the main goal in focus , and said that she is confident that the experience the team has gotten so far this year will help propel them toward what they hope will be another ACC title.

Last season’s stunning Senior Day victory against North Carolina to capture the conference crown left a lasting impression on the upperclassmen, and they are eager to have that feeling back this year. As the team kicks off the season this weekend with the Duke Invitational, Duke will get a first glance at how well the 2014 Blue Devils will fare.

Duke will face North Florida at noon and High Point at 7 p.m. Friday.

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