Guess what, folks? We are just ONE WEEK AWAY from the first Erwin Cup showdown! On Saturday, September 24, Duke and UNC meet in field hockey, and the first points in Cup history will be awarded. The excitement is palpable. I might even attend the match. That’s how effing crazy this is getting.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we get to the weekend, a quick note from last night. The #5 Duke women are ranked ahead of the Tar Heels, a rare occurrence, and they preserved their lead with a 3-0 win against the College of Charleston last night. Check out the highlights below, including Kelly Cobb’s sixth goal of the season and a nifty header by Natasha Anasi.
Now, then. Here’s what’s on tap for the weekend in Duke and UNC sports:
Friday:
-UNC women’s soccer was dropped from #1 to #7 in the latest rankings, and they’ll look to recover from an unexpected loss to Texas A&M at home against N.C. State. 7pm. I will be at this game, and I bet the Triangle’s creepiest twitter account will show up too.
-The gentlemen Heels, who also lost their top dog status after a recent loss (they’re #8 in the latest poll), head to Wake Forest tonight to take on the unranked Deacons.
-HUGE MATCH ALERT! The #1 UNC field hockey squad is hosting #2 Old Dominion tonight. Possible national championship preview! Any field hockey fans want to attend this and do a write-up? Let me know. The Heels also host Wake Forest on Sunday.
-The Duke men’s soccer team is desperately trying to recover from a disastrous beginning, and will visit Clemson at 6pm.
-Duke volleyball heads to Wake Forest for the Black & Gold Challenge.
-UNC volleyball hosts Tulsa tonight, and Miami (OH) and St. Louis tomorrow in the Tar Heel Classic.
-The Duke men’s and women’s tennis teams are hosting the Fab Four Invitational this weekend in Cary. From the looks of it, there are four singles brackets with 16 players in each, and three doubles brackets with eight teams each. The action starts today at 1:30, and the finals are on Sunday. Henrique Cunha, Duke’s number one in singles and #4 in the country, is the top-ranked player in the field. UNC players will be featured as well. The women’s draw will feature freshman Beatrice Capra, who made the third round of the U.S. Open last year before falling to Maria Sharapova, and nearly earned a spot in the main field this year as well.
Saturday:
FOOTBALL! UNC hosts Virginia at 3:30 (they’ll probably win), and Duke travels to BC for a noon game (they’ll probably lose). Be sure to check in Monday for the OptiPessimist and the Duke Football Essay Project.
-The #6 Duke field hockey gals play host Penn State at 1pm. They take on #2 Old Dominion Sunday at the same time.
Sunday:
-The Duke women host #3 Florida State in their first real home test of the year. A win here could vault them into the top two nationally.
Back this afternoon with the Triangle Prophets.