It’s’ the second consecutive year these two powerhouse lacrosse programs have met early in the regular season. Navy women’s lacrosse (2-0) welcomes No. 5 Duke (1-1) to Annapolis, Md. Friday afternoon.
Navy looks to continue their offensive success. In the first two games, they’ve recorded 27 goals with six different players scoring at least three goals.
In the win at Virginia Tech, junior attacker Morgan Young set the tone with a career-high five points on four goals and one assist.
Senior captain Codi Mullen scored a career-high five goals on six shots in the 15-5 victory over Longwood.
The Mids defense has also been on point these first two games. Seniors Molly Doyle and Lizzy Rullan lead a defense that has not allowed more than six goals yet this season. They’ve combine for 15 ground balls and eight caused turnovers to begin the season.
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Navy will have their hands full with the Blue Devils Friday. Duke opened with a 20-4 win over Campbell and an 11-8 loss over then No. 5 Northwestern.
The Blue Devils swallowed a tough loss against the Wildcats in Durham, N.C. Kelsey Duryea, a Second-Team All-ACC goalkeeper last season, tallied a career high in saves (16) and ground balls (7). Duke brings back seven starters, including Duryea who is a three-year starter in the cage.
Duke will rely on its experienced returners, looking to continue to stay tough on defense while being productive offensively.
The last time these two teams met, the Blue Devils had an electric second half, scoring eight goals to record the 10-3 victory. Duryea came up with nine saves on 12 shots on goal.
Duke is 3-0 all-time versus Navy. They’ve faced each other twice in the regular season and once in the postseason (2013 NCAA Second Round). During the regular season, the Blue Devils have outscored the Mids, 29-13.
Navy will need to find a way to slow down Duke’s offense and maintain possession. They’ll also need to be creative with their offense and shot selection to find the net around Duryea.
The game starts at 4 p.m. Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
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