On May 27, 2013 the Duke University Blue Devils upset number one ranked Syracuse University Orange 10-16 to capture their first Division One Men’s Lacrosse National Championship since 2010. After beginning the season with a 2-4 record, the Blue Devils were able to bounce back and shock the nation in the NCAA Tournament. The team manned a high powered offense last season that saw numerous players such as Jordan Wolf and Jake Tripuka average 2.29 points per game.
Duke would finish the season with a number of honors and achievements amongst their players. Players Brendan Fowler, David Lawson, Jordan Wolf, and Jake Tripuka were named to the All-Tournament Team and Brendan Fowler was named NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player.
In a season in which the Blue Devils were faced with a shaky start, the team was able to bounce back and become champions, leaving many critics asking if they can repeat success.
For the 2013-2014 season, the Blue Devils will be losing over ten seniors, a number of them being focal points to their championship season. For example, this season they will lose senior captains Josh Offit and first-team All American David Lawson, who joined the 100-points club last season.
The team has a lot to look forward to offensively, as they return a number of key players. The team’s stand out player last season, Brendan Fowler, looks to be returning to the team after his exceptional performance last year. Fowler broke the NCAA record for most faceoff wins in a season at 16 and was second in most ground balls at 209.
The team also has little to worry about at the goalie position as they return sophomore Kyle Turri, who replaced injured senior Dan Wigrizer as starter and finished the year 14-1 with 8.6 saves per game.
It would be difficult to bet against such a well-rounded team, but if they start the season in such a slow manner then it will be interesting to see how they react to the pressure. Especially with Syracuse not wanting to repeat last season’s failure and teams like Loyola and Virginia trying to return to past glories.
