North Carolina and Duke have met three times this season, and each time the Tar Heels have jumped out to an early lead. But each time the Blue Devils have meticulously worked their way back and have come out on top.
InSunday’s NCAA quarterfinals in front of 10,438 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the outcome was no different. Duke attackers Matt Danowski and Zack Greer combined for a simply stunning display of offense, leading the Blue Devils back from five goals down in the second quarter to thrash North Carolina, 14-3, in the second half on the way to a 19-11 victory.
“We were behind, 6-1, the first time we played them. We were behind, 3-1, the second time we played them. Geez, when it was 1-0, I thought we were going to have an easy day,” said Blue Devils head coach John Danowski.
Matt Danowski, the head coach’s son, tied a career-high with 10 points on four goals and six assists, punctuated by a whizzing behind-the-back shot to put Duke ahead, 13-9, in the fourth quarter. Five of his six assists were feeds to Greer, who finished with seven goals and three assists, increasing his school record for goals in a season to 65.
“We knew coming in that they were probably the best two attackers in the country, and we had a couple schemes to slow them down, but we knew that they were going to get their points,” said North Carolina midfielder Fletcher Gregory. “I guess they both had ten points, which is absurd.”
Danowski fed Greer for the game’s first score, but the Tar Heels (10-6) responded with the next six.
Duke junior midfielder Brad Ross (Bullis Prep) then scored the first of his two goals and cut the deficit to 6-2 on a feed from Greer with 12:00 remaining in the first half, and from there the Blue Devils dominated.
Two years after their last Final Four appearance and a little over one since their cancelled 2006 season, the Blue Devils (16-2) advanced to next weekend’s national semifinals at M&T Bank Stadium where they’ll face undefeated Cornell.
“For me it feels like the last season was five years ago, so much has happened,” said Matt Danowski. “At the same time, it’s still lacrosse. We just want to go out there and have fun.”
How the locals fared
When Duke midfielder Brad Ross got his pocket picked by North Carolina defenseman Ben Staines late in the first quarter of Sunday’s NCAA quarterfinal at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, it was the low point of a stretch in which the Blue Devils surrendered six goals to the underdog Tar Heels in under six minutes.
It also wasn’t the first time.
“That kid did the same thing to me in the first game,” said Ross. The Blue Devils also fell behind in that game, 6-1, before winning, 9-7.
Ross, a Bullis graduate, finished with two goals and one assist, and another local, Peter Lamade (Landon), had two assists in Sunday’s come-from-behind victory from the same margin.
“It’s kind of the line that’s been our story so far, pretty epic,” said Ross. “We just have to do whatever it takes.”
