Frankly, this was an absolutely horrendous game by Duke. Most of the shots were not even close to the frame, going consistently well over the bar or well wide of it. We had very sloppy passing and a lethargic midfield. Michelle Cooper may have looked tired to some by the end of the game, but her work rate was the best on the team. The central midfielders, in contrast, were slow, late, and inaccurate. Our decision-making was sub-par.
With all due respect to Wolfpack fans, NC State is not a good team this year. We should have beaten them multiple goals to nothing. This game is only one game, of course, but it will impact our entire post-season, from seeding in the ACC Tournament (if we can still qualify) right through to the NCAAs. Our path got a lot harder based on this egg of a game. Very unfortunate.