Clemson Upsets No. 6 Duke, 1-0, On Thursday

Thursday, October 20

Clemson, S.C.

7 p.m.

Duke University

11-3-1, 5-3

Clemson

8-6-2, 3-4-1

#8/6 Duke

Clemson

Clemson Upsets No. 6 Duke, 1-0, On Thursday

10/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

CLEMSON, S.C. ? Duke's struggles with the Clemson women's soccer team continued on Thursday night at Historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C. as the Lady Tigers used a first half goal with a depleted Blue Devil defense to upset sixth-ranked Duke, 1-0.

The Blue Devils fall to 11-3-1 overall and 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), while Clemson improves to 8-6-2, 3-4-1. All three losses for Duke in ACC play have been 1-0 to Boston College, Virginia and Clemson. Duke has now lost seven in a row to the Lady Tigers and haven't been Clemson since a 1-0 win in 2000.

“Clemson is a very well-coached team and they don't mind playing us,” said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. “They worked harder than us for the first 45 minutes. They came to get a goal and packed it back afterwards. We played very well in the second half, but this is a 90-minute league, it isn't a 45-minute league. We have to play 90 minutes and have to come prepared. That is my job and I didn't do my job with it. We have to play better.”

Clemson kicked off the match on the attack with two corner kicks and two shots over the first 10 minutes of action. Then at the 12:40 mark, Duke's Carolyn Ford and Heidi Hollenbeck collided on the defensive end and Ford had to leave the game with an injury. Ford, a native of Bethesda, Md., had played every minute of all 14 matches this season.

The Lady Tigers were able to take advantage just three minutes later as Ford was waiting on the sideline to come back in the game. Clemson's Sara Gulley sent a long diagonal feed down the field from right to left and found a streaking Courtney Foster. Foster was able to get in-between the Duke defenders and found herself in a one-on-one situation with Blue Devil goalkeeper Allison Lipsher. As Lipsher charged out, Foster hit the left corner of the net for her second goal of the season.

“Players get hurt and players have to change positions,” said Church. “It is a tough league and I am sure we would have liked to have her in there, but we didn't. People have to step up and do the job when certain players are not in there.”

The goal allowed for the Blue Devils was only the sixth all season long and the first time Duke has trailed in a game since Sept. 30 at Boston College. After the goal, Ford returned to the Duke lineup.

Duke finally was able to get some offense going after the Lady Tigers scored. Junior Sarah McCabe entered the match and had a shot in the 22nd minute but it was blocked and then Rebecca Moros notched a shot of her own off a corner kick from Lauren Tippets that went high just 15 seconds later.

After Clemson took the ball down the field, Lipsher sent a long, bouncing goal kick that McCabe settled and had a one-on-one opportunity with Lady Tiger goalkeeper Ashley Phillips. McCabe, a product of Sarasota, Fla., took a shot but Phillips saved it. Then, McCabe took another shot and it went high.

As the clock was winding down, Clemson's Fraser Gerth beat the Duke defense and got a shot past Lipsher, but junior defender Rachel-Rose Cohen was there to make her third defensive save of the year to keep the score 1-0 in favor of the Lady Tigers.

At the end of the first half, Duke held a 5-4 shot and 4-3 corner kick advantage.

The Blue Devils came out in the second half and were much more aggressive. Junior tri-captain Darby Kroyer took the first shot of the second half that went wide and then the Blue Devils had their best scoring opportunities of the game in the 54th minute.

Tippets sent a long corner kick to senior Carmen Bognanno which feeded a ball to McCabe and she fired a shot into the goal but Clemson's Amber Funk collected a defensive save. Duke's Bognanno took hold of the ball in the left corner of the goal box and was taken down by Funk of Clemson to give the Blue Devils a penalty kick. Taking Duke's second penalty kick of the season, Kroyer sent the ball wide left at the 54:33 mark of the second half.

The Blue Devils went on to outshoot the Lady Tigers, 4-1, over the next 10 minutes but couldn't put the ball in the net. In the 72nd minute, Church took out defender Heidi Hollenbeck and went to a three-defender lineup to try to get more scoring chances. But the Lady Tigers had five defenders playing back which limited Duke's scoring opportunities.

Duke took three final shots over the final 18 minutes, but couldn't get anything past Phillips, who finished with seven saves in goal for the Lady Tigers. Lipsher added two saves for Duke in goal. For the game, the Blue Devils held a 15-5 shot advantage, including outshooting Clemson 10-1 in the final 45 minutes of play.

“You have to execute and we were in behind them,” said Church. “We knew that the goalie was very good up high and needed to play balls on the ground against her. People are going to come after us with the ranking we have. We have to realize that and we have to execute during the course of the game.”

Duke will next travel to ninth-ranked Florida State for a 1:00 PM contest in Tallahassee, Fla.

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