I had the honor of working with Robbie Church for four years at Duke University, and not only is he one of the top coaches in the women's game, but is also one of the true gentlemen in the sport.
Although his Duke Blue Devils fell short in the national title game to Paul Ratcliffe and Stanford, it was clear that Church has firmly placed his Duke side among the nation's elite.
The two best teams in women’s college soccer will play for the N.C.A.A. national championship at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday — and with two evenly matched squads taking the field, the difference in the game may come down to the contrasting philosophies of two of the nation’s premier coaches.
Stanford (24-0-1) dispatched of its semifinal opponent Florida State with relative ease to earn a spot in the Cardinal’s third consecutive championship game, but Coach Paul Ratcliffe’s senior-laden squad is still searching for its first national title. Duke (22-3-1) weathered a first-half drubbing by Wake Forest and made amends in the second period, scoring three second-half goals to win, 4-1. The Blue Devils are playing in their second national championship game and the first since 1992, when Duke fell, 9-1, to a North Carolina team led by Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly.
In Saturday’s news conferences, a tight-lipped Ratcliffe praised the tournament experience of his team and revealed that he would rely on his team’s instincts and talent rather than try and scheme an elaborate plan to outfox the Blue Devils.
Meanwhile, Coach Robbie Church of Duke worked so late into the night Friday scouring video of the Cardinal to try and gain even the slightest tactical advantage that his players found him sleeping in the locker room Saturday morning when they arrived for practice.
If Duke is to derail undefeated Stanford and win its first national championship, it may take another late night for Church.
Stanford (24-0-1) dispatched of its semifinal opponent Florida State with relative ease to earn a spot in the Cardinal’s third consecutive championship game, but Coach Paul Ratcliffe’s senior-laden squad is still searching for its first national title. Duke (22-3-1) weathered a first-half drubbing by Wake Forest and made amends in the second period, scoring three second-half goals to win, 4-1. The Blue Devils are playing in their second national championship game and the first since 1992, when Duke fell, 9-1, to a North Carolina team led by Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly.
In Saturday’s news conferences, a tight-lipped Ratcliffe praised the tournament experience of his team and revealed that he would rely on his team’s instincts and talent rather than try and scheme an elaborate plan to outfox the Blue Devils.
Meanwhile, Coach Robbie Church of Duke worked so late into the night Friday scouring video of the Cardinal to try and gain even the slightest tactical advantage that his players found him sleeping in the locker room Saturday morning when they arrived for practice.
If Duke is to derail undefeated Stanford and win its first national championship, it may take another late night for Church.
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