Duke Advances To Semifinals Of ACC Championship With 2-0 Victory Over BC

CARY, N.C. ? For the fourth straight year, the ninth-ranked and fourth-seeded Duke Women's Soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Championship with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday over 13th-ranked Boston College at the SAS Soccer Complex in Cary, N.C.

The Blue Devils improve to 13-4-1 and advance to face top-seeded and third-ranked North Carolina on Friday at 5:00 p.m., at SAS. The Tar Heels advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Maryland earlier on Friday. Boston College falls to 11-5-2.

Duke came out of the gates on the attack after Boston College took the first shot of the contest in the first two minutes of the match, but it was saved by goalkeeper Allison Lipsher. The Blue Devils came back and registered their second-quickest goal of the season at the 4:56 mark as senior Kate Seibert sent a pass to a wide open junior Darby Kroyer on the left side of the box, who was able to then hit the opposite side of the net for her team-best fifth goal of the season from 15 yards out. Kroyer, a native of San Ramon, Calif., has scored goals in two out of the last three matches.

Boston College went on to outshot the Blue Devils, 7-2, in the first stanza but Duke held a 1-0 advantage. The second half was a period dominated by the Blue Devils outshooting the Eagles, 11-3.

Duke increased its lead to 2-0 at the 72:46 mark after a Boston College turnover in Blue Devil territory. Duke's Seibert took a shot from 18 yards out that was deflected by Eagle goalie Arianna Criscione. Junior Sarah McCabe collected the rebound and finished the play for her fifth goal of the season. Seibert posted her second assist of the match and moves her career total to 17, which ranks tied for sixth all-time at Duke.

For the game, Duke held a 13-10 shot advantage. Lipsher, a sophomore product of Honolulu, Hawaii, finished with three saves. Lipsher now owns a career-best nine shutouts on the year and lowered her goals against average to 0.46.

Kroyer led Duke with four shots on goal for the match as the Blue Devils finished with nine in the 90 minutes of play.

The Blue Devil victory, along with wins by North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State on Wednesday, marks the first time since 1999 that all four top seeds advanced to semifinals of the ACC Championship. FSU will also take on Virginia in the 7:30 p.m. match on Friday.

Duke has appeared in the semifinals of the ACC Championship a total of 11 times in its 18 appearances. Over the last three years, the Blue Devils have lost to second-seeded Clemson (2-0 in 2002), top-seeded North Carolina (6-1 in 2003) and top-seeded North Carolina (4-2 in 2004). Duke led 2-1 at the end of the first half last year against the Tar Heels, but were outscored 3-0 in the second stanza to fall 4-2.

Earlier in 2005, the Blue Devils upset undefeated and top-ranked North Carolina, 2-1, in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Oct. 9.

Goal Time Team Goal Scorer  Assists
1 4:56 DU Darby Kroyer  Kate Seibert
2 72:46 DU Sarah McCabe  Kate Seibert

Shots: Duke 13, Boston College 10
Corners: Duke 4, Boston College 4
Saves: Duke 3, Boston College 7

- d - u - k - e -

Duke Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Robbie Church

"It was a great win. We talked a lot before the game about getting that first goal. For us to get the first goal on a combination play was big. Then we struggled a bit. We couldn't get a hold of the game and Boston College got momentum and came at us in the first half. That second half was as good as a half as we have played all year. We did a great job. We made a couple of adjustments at halftime. That is a very good Boston College team and they will go far in the NCAA Tournament."

Darby Kroyer on Second Half

"We know we still had to get that second goal. We had confidence knowing we were up but we knew we still had to go at them."

Carolyn Ford on Carolina

"I think we got a win against them in the season but now it is a completely different season. We are going to go in to the game like we would any other game. It is Carolina, and we get pumped up to play them. We have confidence in ourselves because we deserve to, but we are going to be thinking about this game, right now, and the ACC Tournament."

Sara McCabe on her goal

"I knew eventually following every shot would pay off. Every day in practice and in games I follow the shot hoping it will bounce off the goalkeeper right to my feet. Finally it happened and I will take it."