Duke Downs No. 10 Wake Forest, 2-1, in ACC Opener

Sunday, September 14

Winston-Salem, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

Wake Forest

No. 6 Stanford Slides Past No. 5 Duke in OT, 3-2

Duke Downs No. 10 Wake Forest, 2-1, in ACC Opener

9/14/2014 3:13:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The fourth-ranked Blue Devils kicked off ACC play on a winning note Sunday, grinding out a 2-1 victory over No. 10 Wake Forest in a defensive battle at the Demon Deacons' Kentner Stadium.

In a contest that featured a high level of goalkeeping play on both sides, Duke rebounded from a late equalizing score by Wake Forest to register the gamewinner in the 65th minute. With the win, head coach Pam Bustin's team moved to 6-0 on the year, marking the program's best start to a season since 1978.

“Every game in the ACC is going to be tight and it's going to be a battle,” Bustin said. “There are different ways that we have to come out on top. Sometimes you've got to grind it out and other times you've got to take advantage of opportunities. We're definitely going to take this into the week and it will make us better.”

After neutralizing an early penalty corner by the Demon Deacons, the Blue Devils took advantage of their own corner opportunity just minutes later, forcing a penalty stroke that was successfully converted by junior Aileen Johnson. Johnson's second goal of the season gave Duke a 1-0 lead at the 6:15 mark and put the squad on the board first for the sixth time in as many games.

The Blue Devils tried to create on another penalty corner situation midway through the period, but sophomore Alyssa Chillano's shot was turned back by Wake Forest keeper Valerie Dahmen. Redshirt junior Lauren Blazing was just as stalwart at the opposite end for Duke, notching a save against an offering from the Demon Deacons' leading scorer, Anna Kozniuk.

The two teams finished a back-and-forth first half with the Blue Devils leading in shots, 3-2. Penalty corners were even at two apiece.

At the start of the second half, the two squads traded penalty corners but the score remained 1-0 in the Blue Devils' favor. Sophomore Heather Morris and senior Jessica Buttinger both fired shots that were saved by Dahmen, who totaled four stops on the day. Blazing made a critical save at the other end in a one-on-one situation against Jess Newak of Wake Forest before Newak capitalized on a defensive miscommunication to tally the equalizer in the 62nd minute.

The Demon Deacons' goal was the first allowed by Blazing and the Duke defense in over 310 minutes of game action, dating back to Aug. 31.

“We'd been defending quite well,” Bustin said. “Wake Forest moved around a lot and they tried to create a lot of chaos. I thought, for the most part, our defensive organization stayed pretty strong ... The way that goal developed, our kids knew it was something that had broken down within our structure, so they really took it upon themselves to get it back.”

Duke responded less than three minutes later as Morris set up Buttinger to knock in a strike that was deflected into the goal by Dahmen. Buttinger picked up her fourth goal on the play and posted what would prove to be the gamewinner for the second time this season.

The Blue Devils' defense remained steady for the final 10 minutes to preserve the 2-1 victory in the ACC opener for both squads.

Blazing matched Dahmen with four saves for Duke in the winning effort. For the game, Wake Forest led in shots, 12-7, and in penalty corners by a 5-3 margin.

“There have been good goalkeepers for the teams that we've been playing,” Bustin said. “And then with Lauren Blazing in there, she's sharp and she keeps the circle clean. It was a great defensive battle. It makes us work harder to have to find different solutions to put the ball in the cage.”

Bustin's squad returns to Durham next Friday, Sept. 19 to host ACC opponent Virginia at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium at 6 p.m. The Blue Devils then travel to non-conference foe William & Mary Sunday, Sept. 21 for a 1 p.m. contest.

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