With a goal in the first minute of OT—the first five seconds, to be extact—the Duke Blue Devils won their first-ever National Championship. It was a close game throughout, as John Danowski said afterward, “Notre Dame was phenomenal. [Star goalie] Scott Rogers was... As [good as] advertised.” And indeed, Notre Dame shocked the masses not just by reaching the title game, but competing with Duke once they got there.
C.J. Costabile Scores Game-Winner In OT, Duke Wins First-Ever National Championship
But in the end, the Blue Devils were too much.
Despite controlling the pace for much of the game, Notre Dame struggled to score against the Duke defense, forcing their goalie Scott Rogers to carry the load. In one of the lowest scoring title games in NCAA history, neither team could ever take control, as Rogers stifled the Devils’ attackmen, and the Irish offense struggled on the other end.
Then, in an instant, a back-and-forth, ugly contest was over. C.J. Costabile won the opening faceoff of overtime, and ran right through the teeth of the Notre Dame defense to fire home the game-winner. The win caps a remarkable season for Duke’s senior-laden squad, and represents the ultimate redemption for a Duke program that’s been fighting to restore itself since the ugly scandal in 2006 that brought the program to the brink of destruction.
Today, they’re champions.
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