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DURHAM, N.C. -- Kerstin Kimel coined the phrase "the bright spot" for the Duke women's lacrosse team. That's what the coach wants her players to be for the school during a difficult time.
While the sports world is focused on accusations of rape against two Duke men's lacrosse players during a team party with strippers last month, the women's team is quietly having a banner season, ranked No.1 in the polls with a 12-1 record.
The women can't divorce themselves from the men's troubles, which include the season being terminated and coach Mike Pressler resigning. Players on both teams have been friends since before high school. There have been siblings on both teams recently. The men and women often shared practice time on the same artificial-turf field. Pressler was part of the committee that hired Kimel 12 years ago.
"Honestly, it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch or see," says Kimel, 34. "It's so profoundly sad on so many different levels. And it's in our face all the time, because we share a building and facility. To my kids' credit, they've done an unbelievable job of staying focused in the midst of all this."
The women have turned the situation into a positive, according to senior attack Katie Chrest, the 2005 Tewaaraton Award winner as national player of the year:
"They're definitely some of our closest friends. It's upsetting to not have them out here each day. Not that we necessarily needed it, but it was a good wake-up call, showing us how lucky we are for what we have: Being able to come out each day and play.
"There've been a lot of positives for us. There's a little more fight in us. It's kind of been inspiring, to be a bright spot amidst all this. It's motivating."
The Blue Devils started the season No.2 in the polls and won their first nine games before losing 11-10 to Virginia on April1. They ascended to No.1 in the polls for the second time in program history after a 16-10 victory April7 against then-No.1 and defending national champion Northwestern.
"We're very dynamic," Kimel says. "It's definitely the most athletic team I've had. It's the best offensive group I've had. It's the deepest team I've had."
This is Kimel's 11th team at Duke. She was hired in 1995, at 23, after a year as coach at Davidson following a stellar career at Maryland, to start a program. She got Duke to its first NCAA tournament in 1998 and its first of two Final Fours in 1999.
"I felt -- and still feel -- Duke is synonymous with excellence," Kimel says. "I felt like my goals in coaching matched Duke's goals -- that we could compete for a national championship."
A title this year would be a bright spot.
*Search warrants seek clothing, photos from party, 5A
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