Duke scored four goals in the first eight minutes on Sunday and never looked back.
The senior Blue Devils scored their sixth straight win to start the season at a 13-6 clinic at Richmond # 16. The second-placed team that Duke played this year was the first since the Blue Devils’ 12:10 win in the season opener against then No. 7 Denver. While Duke has performed almost like clockwork throughout the season, these tougher opponents really show what the team is capable of.
“Today it was very professional both on the offensive and on the defensive against a very well trained, solid team,” said head coach John Danowski. “You have a plan … you are very well prepared. And it was a good team win. “
With quick goals from Nakeie Montgomery, Brennan O’Neill, Joe Robertson and Owen Caputo early in the first half, Duke (6-0) had a cushion for the rest of the game as Richmond’s defense and attack tightened.
It all started when Montgomery received a feed down low from a graduate transfer graduate Michael Sowers and tore the first shot into the net. Montgomery was absolutely fatal this season as he neared the gate. His shot percentage of 0.556 and his shot percentage of 0.889 were the highest of all Blue Devils with more than 10 shots.
Sowers led the team with three, two and nine goals, assists and shots. Not only has he been exceptional on an individual level throughout the season, but his chemistry with fellow starters Robertson and O’Neill grows with each game.
While the offense may have attracted the most attention, Duke’s greatest asset on Sunday must have been goalkeeper Mike Adler. The spiders turned out to be a formidable offensive threat as they scored 21 shots on goal and almost got the Blue Devils’ Jake Naso on the X in face-off wins.
But Adler hit a season high of 15 saves in his first 60-minute game to keep Duke under control.
However, the Blue Devils still have some work to do to solidify their system and incorporate new parts. With a young defensive core and no active 2020 season players starting to attack, the team is still ironing out the kinks.
“I thought that maybe we got a little selfish in the second half… and held the ball a little too long. Richmond does a good job mixing man and zone … and I think it’s a great learning opportunity for our young team, ”said Danowski of Richmond’s close formations and his dynamic strategy when playing defense. “And I think it’ll just help us get better down the street to see that much Zone in 60 minutes.”
Overall, Duke continued to show why it has been at the top of the leaderboard since preseason on Sunday, and will do so when it hosts High Point # 19 on Wednesday.
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