It was 10:21 into the game, and Lindsay Finocchiaro had just watched Duke score to take a 6-2 lead over the No. 1 Wildcats. The sophomore defender knew it was the first time her team had trailed in the first half of a game since its season opener.

She also knew the Cats were up against the No. 2 team in the country, in NU’s biggest game in program history.

But instead of panicking, Finocchiaro said she and her team chose to dig in their heels and play to a dominating 16-11 win.

“At that point, we were like, ‘We are not losing this. This is our game,'” Finocchiaro said.

One minute and eight seconds later, the Cats (12-0) got on the board and then scored eight straight goals to get a lead they never relinquished.

The Cats’ win over Duke on Sunday leaves them undefeated and solidifies their No. 1 ranking. Duke (10-3) was NU’s toughest opponent since facing then-No. 8 North Carolina in its season opener.

NU’s stands and sidelines were packed with fans on Sunday with a season-high 1,075 in attendance. The Cats average 279 spectators at home games, but the matchup between the nation’s two top teams brought in Duke fans, local lacrosse teams and curious NU students.

“During warmup, I saw this flock of fans coming in,” sophomore attacker Aly Josephs said. “It was exciting, and it was such a better atmosphere to play in.”

The Blue Devils won the first draw and scored 1:09 into the game. Seven seconds later, they scored again. Ten seconds later, Josephs put one in for the Cats. Lindsey Munday tied it for the Cats three minutes later.

Duke, then pressuring NU with its speed and size, kept the play in its offensive zone and set up four straight goals. That’s when Finocchiaro’s team took over and got eight goals in 11 minutes and finished the half up 11-7.

“I think in the beginning we were a little rushed and a little nervous,” Josephs said. “I don’t think we panicked. I think we actually stayed pretty calm, and that kept us in the game. Then we moved the ball around quickly and stayed big. They were pressuring us but couldn’t stop us.”

Although Duke brought it within two by notching the first pair of second-half goals, NU dominated the half.

The Cats kept possession away from the Blue Devils. NU’s defense limited Duke’s leading scorer, junior Katie Chrest, to only one goal and one assist. Chrest was last week’s ACC and Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week.

“They’re a really good team, tough and aggressive,” Finocchiaro said. “All we wanted to do was slow them down and get the ball away from them. We had a couple of letdowns, but the balls we got were big.”

Duke applied pressure in the last six minutes of the game, but NU goalie Ashley Gersuk made some crucial saves during that time.

“I think we tired (Duke) out,” NU coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “We’re a really fit team, our girls our really tough, and I think that really came through.”

Sophomore Kristen Kjellman led the Cats on Sunday with five goals and three assists after having a 20-point weekend last weekend. Josephs had three goals, and Munday had two goals and three assists.

Earlier in the week, the Cats easily slid by Stanford (6-5) with a 16-3 win.

Laura Glassanos and Munday scored early versus Stanford on Friday. Stanford scored, and until the 12th minute the game remained 2-1, an unusual score for the high-scoring Cats. Then Munday got an unassisted goal, and the Cats cruised to a 16-3 victory.

Nine different Cats scored in Friday’s match, but Munday led the Cats with three goals and three assists. Glassanos finished with three goals and an assist, and Kate Darmody had three goals.

“We saw the weekend as a 2-game series, or a single-elimination round,” said Amonte Hiller. “Once we beat Stanford, we could advance to the next round.”

And in that round, the Cats made history.

The blowout and the hard-earned win both gave the Cats confidence and momentum for their upcoming schedule, Josephs said.

“I feel like this team is going to be staying on that wave of momentum for awhile.”

Reach Courtney McCarty at [email protected].