Women?s Soccer Advances In NCAA College Cup On Penalty Kicks

Friday, November 10

Knoxville, Tenn.

5:30 p.m.

Duke University

9-8-3

Louisville (First Round)

13-4-3

OT 4

OT 5

OT 6

Duke

#--/25 Louisville

Women?s Soccer Advances In NCAA College Cup On Penalty Kicks

11/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

KNOXVILLE, TENN. ? For the seventh straight time in the NCAA College Cup, the Duke Women's Soccer Team advanced to the second round as the Blue Devils defeated 22nd-ranked Louisville, 6-5, in penalty kicks on Friday evening at the Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. The Blue Devils (9-8-3) and Cardinals (13-4-3) concluded two 45-minute periods and two 10-minute overtime sessions at 0-0 before moving to a shootout.

“I think, as everybody saw, it was a heck of a game,” said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. “Congratulations to the University of Louisville; I thought they played a phenomenal game. They were very good in first half, and they had us on our heels. (Louisville forward) Jamie Craft was very dangerous all night long.”

For the first time since 1997, a Duke match came down to penalty kicks, while also marking the first time all season the Blue Devils have had the opportunity to take a penalty kick. Overall in Duke's 19 years of playing women's soccer, the Blue Devils have advanced to a shootout two times prior to Friday nights action. In 1997 Duke defeated Wake Forest, 4-3, in the ACC Tournament and in 2001 the Blue Devils won, 4-2, over Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA College Cup.

In first group of the shootout, each of the first five kickers for Louisville and Duke connected on their attempts in the following order-- Jamie Craft (UL)/Darby Kroyer (DU), Monique Gjini (UL)/Elisabeth Redmond (DU), Amy Seng (UL)/Christie McDonald (DU), Tierney Lanich (UL)/Lauren Tippets (DU) and Laura Walker (UL)/Rebecca Moros (DU).

“We were confident that we could advance on penalty kicks,” said Church. “I thought our shooters did a great job, I thought (Allison Lipsher) did a great job in the goal.”

After the first round of kickers, it moved to the next set of five with Louisville's Jessica Mello taking the first attempt, which sailed wide left of the post. It came down to Duke freshman CJ Ludemann, a product of Holtsville, N.Y., who had taken only 10 shots all season. The 5-4 midfielder calmly bent her kick into the bottom left of the net to give the Blue Devils the 6-5 victory.

“We've been practicing penalties the last two weeks, so I felt confident,” Ludemann said. “I couldn't have been in a better situation. The (Louisville player) missed beforehand, so it wasn't life or death if I missed. I had nine girls behind me with the confidence that I was going to hit.”

The first half featured a very evenly matched contest as Louisville posted a 6-3 shot advantage as Kroyer, Tippets and senior Sarah McCabe each took shots for the Blue Devils.

Louisville came out on the attack in the second half as the Cardinals fired two shots at the goal over the first five minutes but one went wide left and the other was saved by Blue Devil goalkeeper Alison Lipsher. In the 53rd minute, Moros sent a corner kick to Kroyer, who sent a header wide for Duke's first shot of the second period.

The Cardinals took two more shots in the 55th and 56th minutes but couldn't get them past Lipsher. Duke then went on the attack outshooting Louisville, 6-1, but none would move past the goal line. In the second half, the Blue Devils posted a 9-1 corner kick advantage and 7-5 lead in shots but never got the ball in the net. Joanna Haig kept the Cardinals in the contest as she made three key saves in the second period off shots by Kroyer, Kelly Hathorn and Tippets.

“What can you say about the goalkeeper (Haig of Louisville),” commented Church. “She was phenomenal with three big-time saves in the second half.”

During the first 10-minute overtime period, Duke held a 2-1 shot advantage with attempts by freshman KayAnne Gummersall and McCabe, but the score remained blank heading into the final overtime session.

The second overtime was much like the first as each squad took one shot on goal, but the goalkeepers sent the match into penalty kicks.

Through 110 minutes, each team finished with 13 shots but the Blue Devils had a 12-4 corner kick lead. In goal for Duke, Lipsher finished with six saves and registered her eighth shutout of the season. A junior native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Lipsher now owns 25 career shutouts in three years with the Blue Devils. Haig concluded the match with six saves for Louisville.

“I'm very proud of our team,” said Church. “It's kind of been a roller-coaster ride. We've played six one-goal games. We've dominated a lot of possession, but we've not quite figured out the final third. We've been practicing very, very well.”

The Blue Devils will next face fourth-seeded Tennessee, which defeated UAB, 4-0, on Friday. The second round match will take place on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

“I think it's a lot more motivational than draining, I could play another game right now, and I'm sure my teammates could, too,” said Ludemann on the victory. “We're on a high, definitely, and I know my teammates are, too.”

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Louisville Postgame Quotes

HEAD COACH KAREN FERGUSON:

“I thought we did everything we had intended on doing in the first round. We executed, we played with intensity and we were sharp. Certainly, we played to win. Anytime it goes down to penalty kicks, someone's got to lose.”

(On ending a game with penalty kicks):

“Well, you don't want to lose. We've practiced them, we've rehearsed them visually. We've done everything we could do. Losing is not the hardest part of this. I thought, regardless of the result tonight, we've been a tremendous success. I feel the worst for the student-athlete that misses (sophomore defender Jessica Mello), because she carries the burden of the loss. But in no way, shape or form should she, because she's been absolutely fantastic from her freshman year. That's the hard part to swallow. That young woman thinks she let her team down, and in no way did she.”

AMY SENG, senior defender:

“It's exciting. Our program's taken huge leaps in the four years that I've been here. I'm so proud of the 24 girls I'm with. We did lose, but our season has been so great, there's nothing that I regret about it. I'll be in the stands next year, cheering them when they get to the second and third round.”