Tag Archives: Robert Rotanz

Duke ousts Colgate, advances to championship weekend

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Sparked by a huge second quarter run, No. 3 seed Duke (15-4) knocked off Colgate (14-4) 17-6 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. With the victory Duke advances to championship weekend for the sixth consecutive season. The Blue Devils move on to face Maryland next Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Ma.

The Raiders, who entered play as one of the hottest teams in the country, put pressure on Duke early in the contest. After falling behind 4-2 to an energized Colgate squad, the Blue Devils mounted an emphatic run to put the game away. Duke’s offensive unit was sharp as the Blue Devils responded with 13 unanswered goals. Robert Rotanz led the way for Duke, tallying a career-high five goals and adding an assist. Eight different scorers notched goals for the Blue Devils in the contest.

Duke held Colgate scoreless for a 26:14 stretch that spanned from the end of the first quarter to the middle of the third. On the defensive end, Henry Lobb was stellar, holding Colgate’s Peter Baum, the nation’s leading scorer, to just one goal. Junior Dan Wigrizer was strong between the pipes. Though he was not tested often during Duke’s long run, Wigrizer faced significant action during the third period and recorded nine saves in the game, keeping the Raiders at bay when they attempted to claw back.

CJ Costabile was a force at the faceoff spot for the Blue Devils, winning 14 of 20 draws. Costabile also added 15 ground balls, many of which allowed Duke to control possession for the majority of the second and third periods as it broke the game open.

Duke defeats Syracuse in NCAA tournament first round

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After allowing Syracuse to claw back into the contest, a swift response propelled the Blue Devils into the NCAA tournament’s second round.

No. 3 seed Duke (14-4) exploded with a six goals in the third period to knock off the Orange (9-8) 12-9 Saturday at Koskinen Stadium. Robert Rotanz, Justin Turri and Christian Walsh each tallied three goals for the Blue Devils. The trio combined for five of Duke’s six goals in the third period.

Although the Blue Devils had not played a game in 15 days, there were no signs of rust. Duke quickly tallied the game’s first three scores and jumped out to a 5-1 advantage early in the second quarter. The Syracuse offense was stymied by the Blue Devils defense, as the Orange connected on just one of their first 17 shots–goaltender Dan Wigrizer notched 12 saves.

Syracuse seized back the momentum before the break, beating Wigrizer three times in the last seven minutes of the first half. The Orange then tied the game just 25 seconds into the third quarter before Duke mounted its run.

Rotanz scored two quick goals to give the Blue Devils a 7-5 advantage. Duke dominated possession for the remainder of the quarter thanks to their dominance on faceoffs. The Blue Devils won 17 of 24 faceoffs in the contest.

After Walsh’s third goal extended Duke’s lead to 11-7, the Blue Devils never looked back. Their stifling defense sealed the victory, as Wigrizer made five saves on eight Syracuse shots in the fourth quarter.

With the victory Duke advances to face Colgate at PPL Park in Philadelphia next Sunday.

Duke lacrosse earns postseason honors

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Jordan Wolf became the first player in Duke lacrosse history to earn all-ACC honors in each of his first two seasons. Wolf’s selection was announced last Thursday as a result of voting by the league’s coaches. Wolf earned his first all-ACC selection during his freshman season when he finished second on the team in scoring with 31 goals and 20 assists. This year, Wolf is the team’s leading scorer, having notched 28 goals and 27 assists in 16 games.

Seniors C.J. Costabile and Robert Rotanz also earned all-ACC selections. This was Costabile’s second selection as well. Costabile was also named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Maryland’s Jesse Bernhardt. He has tallied five goals and three assists in 2012 and has also picked up a whopping 104 ground balls. The long-stick midfielder has also proven to be relentless at the faceoff x, winning a team-high 113 of his 216 attempts this season.

Head coach John Danowski was also named the ACC’s Coach of the Year. This is Danowski’s third Coach of the Year award in his six seasons at Duke.

Danowski recently led the Blue Devils to their fourth ACC tournament title in the past six seasons. Costabile was one of five Blue Devils named to the ACC all-tournament team. Costabile was joined by freshman Will Haus, sophomore Josh Dionne, junior Dan Wigrizer and the tournament’s MVP, sophomore Christian Walsh. Walsh tallied four goals and two assists in Duke’s 12-9 victory over North Carolina to clinch its eighth ACC title.

Crotty Leads Duke To 3rd Straight Final Four

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With 9:55 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s NCAA tournament quarterfinal, the No. 3 Blue Devils led No. 6 North Carolina, 12-8, and had an opportunity to all but seal the win. Mike Catalino rushed the ball upfield and found Max Quinzani, whose shot struck the crossbar and bounced high into the air.

Freshman Robert Rotanz then sprinted into the middle of the offensive zone, leaped to catch the ball and fired a shot in midair, but Tar Heel goalkeeper James Petracca recovered impressively and made the save.

What followed was a sequence of three North Carolina goals in three minutes to set up a nerve-wracking finale. After looking like they might fade away, the Tar Heels (12-6) came roaring back, and with 6:10 to play, Duke led by just one, 12-11.

But in the final six minutes of action, the Blue Devils showed poise they might not have displayed earlier in the season, and Duke (15-3) held on for the one-goal win at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to advance to its third straight Final Four. Duke will play No. 2 Syracuse Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

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