“Simply absurd.”
That?s how North Carolina?s men?s lacrosse team described the performance of Duke attackmen Zack Greer and Matt Danowski after they combined for 11 goals and nine assists in the Blue Devils? 19-11 victory Sunday inthe NCAA quarterfinals.
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At many points during the second half, the game appeared to be the entire Tar Heel roster versus Greer and Danowski. This was especially true in the second half when the duo scored six goals and added three assists as Duke outscored North Carolina, 11-3.
“We knew coming in that they had two of the best attackers in the country,” North Carolina midfielder Fletcher Gregory said. “We drew up a couple schemes to slow them down. We knew all along that they would get their points. We didn?t think they would each that though. It was tough seeing them beat us like that.”
Now, Duke (16-2) is one game away from the national title game. The Blue Devils are hoping for a similar performance as they prepare to face Cornell (15-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.
It won?t be easy to repeat what Duke did against North Carolina this week. The Blue Devils suffered their worst offensive production of the year in a 7-6 loss to Cornell on March 20. The key, Danowski said, is not getting rattled if Cornell jumps out to an early lead like North Carolina did to Duke on Sunday.
“Nobody freaked out and we stayed calm because we knew it was going to happen,” Danowski said. “Our team has a huge amount of trust in each other, and if one part of our team is slacking, we all step up. The key to the game is no one freaking out. We just need to get out there and play.”
Greer added that games like Sunday are extremely exciting because you feel like you can?t do anything wrong.
“When you?re not thinking and you?re just doing your thing, the game slows down for you because you?re in a rhythm and doing what you?re used to,” Greer said. “When you get in that rhythm, that?s the way things happen because it slows down, you?ve got more time to see the field, see the net and see where some of the other guys are. That helps you get and stay in that rhythm.”
DUKE NOTES
» Duke?s attack duo of Zack Greer and Matt Danowski has combined for 34 points during the NCAA tournament, marking the sixth highest total in tournament history.
» Greer (7 goals, 3 assists) and Danowski (4 goals, 6 assists) combined for 20 points in Sunday?s win over North Carolina, representing the third time the pair has scored at least seven points each this season.
» For the season, Danowski has 42 goals and 49 assists, while Greer has 63 goals and 25 assists through the NCAA quarterfinals.
