Matt Zash and David Evans know what it feels like to win 17 games and go to the National Championship game, but the seniors also know what it feels like to miss the tournament and suffer a losing season.

In 2004, Duke suffered a 5-8 campaign and missed the NCAA tournament completely. That season serves as motivation for a team full of seniors and juniors who experienced it firsthand. Now, the Blue Devils are one of the top teams in the country and are trying to return to the National Championship game where they lost to Johns Hopkins last year.

The memory of the losing season is still fresh in the minds of the seniors and juniors. In that year, 17 freshman and sophomores received serious playing time even though they may not have been ready to contribute.

‘It took its toll on us,’ Zash said. ‘We had to throw a lot of our freshmen out to the wolves.’

Though the Blue Devils struggled in 2003 and 2004, posting a combined record of 13-15, the records did not indicate how good the team was becoming. During its 5-8 campaign, Duke lost three games by one goal to North Carolina, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins.

The close losses threatened to bring the team’s morale down, but the Blue Devils stayed focused on improving each year.

‘It’s tough to keep the motivation up,’ Evans said. ‘You know everyone can play but you get disappointed.’

Duke head coach Mike Pressler realized the team was young two seasons ago, but insisted the players on the field were the best guys for the job. He now believes the experience the freshman and sophomores earned that year helped them in the long run.

‘We are better equipped to handle and make the plays,’ Pressler said. ‘That is what experience does.’

Entering the 2005 season, Pressler had high expectations for his team, but he admits that winning 17 games was a bit of a surprise. The Blue Devils ran off 11 straight victories to start the season and the players’ confidence only grew as the season progressed.

The difficult first two seasons made last year even more rewarding for Evans. He said the Blue Devils went into every game with an underdog mentality and enjoyed the wins more than most teams.

‘We cherished the wins,’ Evans said. ‘We knew what it was like to be on the other side. Winning is a lot more fun.’

Even though they were winning, the upperclassmen did not forget the past. Zash said the Blue Devils considered the 2004 season an embarrassment for the program and wanted to make sure they never had a season like it again.

‘Throughout that season all we talked about was 5-8,’ Zash said.

This season the Blue Devils return several starters from last year’s national runner-up team and came into the season ranked No. 1 in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. A tough overtime loss to Maryland on Saturday dropped Duke from the top spot for the first time this year, but the Blue Devils are confident they can return to the top this season.

The freshmen and sophomores never experienced the pain of a losing season, but the upperclassmen make sure they don’t get too comfortable with success.

‘We let them know what it was like to go through those first few seasons,’ Evans said. ‘The upperclassmen take a lot of pride in what we have accomplished.’

Top Terp

Maryland’s Xander Ritz was named National Player of the Week by Inside Lacrosse for his five-goal performance against Duke on Saturday. Ritz scored his fifth and most important goal just over one minute into overtime to give the Terrapins the 8-7 victory over the rival Blue Devils. The senior midfielder extended his points scoring streak to 18 games. With the win, Maryland moved to the No. 1 spot in the Media Poll.

Dome still No. 1 Home

Princeton kept the Orange in the record books when the Tigers beat Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field this weekend. The loss snapped the Blue Jays’ 37-game home winning streak, keeping them tied with Syracuse for the NCAA record. The Orange set the record from 1982-1987.

Power Five

1. Maryland – The Terrapins knocked off the previously top-ranked Blue Devils in Durham, N.C., to secure the top spot this week. Xander Ritz may be the best player in the country and he could carry Maryland to a national championship.

2. Virginia – The Cavaliers gave the Syracuse defense a rude awakening, scoring 20 goals to beat the Orange. The schedule doesn’t become any easier for Virginia as it travels to Princeton on Saturday.

3. Duke – At 3-1 the Blue Devils have the worst record in the Power Five, but the one loss was to Maryland and it was in overtime. Duke still looks like one of the best teams in the league and don’t be surprised if this ends up being its only loss of the season.

4. Princeton – Thirty-seven teams tried to beat Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field, and every one failed until Saturday. The Tigers opened up their offense against the Blue Jays and proved they could play with the nation’s top teams.

5. Navy – The Midshipmen trounced No. 20 North Carolina, 11-3, on the road to move to 3-0 on the season. With Syracuse and Johns Hopkins dropping out, Navy was the best candidate for the fifth spot.

Published on March 6, 2006 at 12:00 pm