DURHAM, N.C. – Duke field hockey and head coach
Pam Bustin announced the continuation of its 2020-21 season with a seven-game spring slate.
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The Blue Devils will play each ACC opponent once, while facing one non-conference opponent. Duke will host four of its seven spring contests at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.
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"We're thrilled to get back on the field and continue to build upon the good work from the fall," Bustin said. "We have grown so much as a team – culturally, mentally and physically, and we're fortunate to have this spring season to put our efforts to the test!"
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Duke opens the season on the road in Charlottesville for a 3 p.m., matchup versus the Virginia Cavaliers at Turf Field on Friday, March 5. The Blue Devils garnered a 2-0 shutout over Virginia in its final regular season game of the fall.
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Bustin's squad enters a three-game home stretch on Friday, March 19, as the Blue Devils host Wake Forest in a 5 p.m., contest before welcoming Liberty on Sunday, March 21, at 1 p.m. Duke split with the Demon Deacons during the fall campaign, falling in overtime in Winston-Salem before picking up its first shutout of the 2020 with a 2-0 victory. The Blue Devils are 6-0 all-time against the Flames with their last win in overtime fashion (3-2) on Nov. 3, 2019. Duke concludes its homestand with a noon matchup versus Syracuse on Saturday, March 27, as the Blue Devils look to pick up its first win over the Orange in the 2020-21 season.
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The Blue Devils will make the short trip down Tobacco Road to play the 2020 ACC Champions in North Carolina on Friday, April 2, at 2 p.m. Duke's last visit in Chapel Hill was the ACC Championship in November. The following weekend, Duke hosts Louisville on Saturday, April 10, at 1 p.m., for Senior Day. The Blue Devils look to notch their first victories of the season against the Tar Heels and Cardinals.
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Duke closes its spring regular season with a road trip up north to Boston College on Saturday, April 17 at 1 p.m. This will be the first meetings between the two programs this year as the fall game was postponed.
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To determine the ACC automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament, the playoff game is set for Friday, April 23 at Karen Shelton Stadium. The team with the best spring conference record will play North Carolina. This year's NCAA Tournament will consist of 10 automatic qualifiers and two at-large selections instead of the normal 16-team bracket. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for May 7-9 at North Carolina.
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Due to the impact of COVID-19, Duke University will begin its spring sport program seasons without spectators at home events. Contests played on Duke's campus will include essential game management personnel and broadcast media. Traditional parking lots used by fans on game day will be closed.
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