Redmond, Gummersall Open Duke Careers With Goals; Lead Duke to 3-1 Win

Friday, August 25

Durham, N.C.

7:30 p.m.

Duke University

St. Louis

Redmond, Gummersall Open Duke Careers With Goals; Lead Duke to 3-1 Win

8/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.? Duke's freshman class, who was ranked third-nationally by Soccer Buzz, kicked off their collegiate careers on Friday in style at Koskinen Stadium by scoring two goals to lead the 12th-ranked Blue Devil women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over 27th-ranked St. Louis.

"This is a great win and opening game," said Church. "St. Louis is going to win a lot of games and will make the NCAA Tournament this year. We haven't seen a speed of play like that and were on our heels early in the game. Our depth helped us out a lot, but it was our veterans that led us on the night."

Duke freshmen Elisabeth Redmond and Sara Murphy each received the starting nod in a lineup which featured five new starters from 2005. The game opened with only five shots over the first 25 minutes of action, but in the 25th minute of play Blue Devil Head Coach Robbie Church subbed in freshman CJ Ludemann, freshman KayAnne Gummersall, freshman Jane Alukonis, sophomore Sheila Kramer and senior Sarah McCabe into the lineup.

Just eight minutes later the Blue Devils registered the first goal of the contest as senior Rebecca Moros found Gummersall down the right side of the field. Gummersall, who is a native of Wilmette, Ill., blasted a right-footed shot from 25-yards out that curled inside the far post for her first collegiate goal at the 33:22 mark.

"We have been looking for people to score some goals the last two or three years," said Church. "Anytime the freshmen can score it is going to add a confidence to the back players. It is exciting for them [the freshmen] for their confidence and let them know they can play at this level."

The score remained 1-0 in favor of Duke at the end of the first stanza with the Blue Devils holding a 5-2 shot advantage.

All five members of the freshman class started the second half, but St. Louis was able to get on the board in the 56th minute as Dee Guempel sent a cross from the left side of the field which found Maureen Hughes in front of the goal. Hughes tapped in the Billikens first goal from two yards out.

After more substitutions by Church in the 60th minute, the Blue Devils collected the game-winning goal nine minutes later as sophomore Christie McDonald found Redmond for a give-and-go, which Redmond connected from 12 yards out. Redmond, who scored 100 goals and assisted on 62 others over her high school career at The Lawrenceville School, posted her first collegiate goal on her only shot of the night.

"Christie sent a great ball and when she played it through to me I was just hoping it would go in," said Redmond. "It was my first collegiate goal so I am pretty excited about it."

Moros, a native of Larchmont, N.Y., put the game away in the 87th minute as she sent a 20-yard shot which curved from left to right into the net past the Billiken goalkeeper, Hannah Koesterer, for her 12th career goal. Redmond added an assist on the goal for the Blue Devils.

Duke played a total of 17 players on the night and outshot St. Louis, 8-6. In goal for the Blue Devils was junior Allison Lipsher, who finished the evening with two saves. Duke's defense featured six different players and only one returning starter in senior Rachel-Rose Cohen, who was a 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America.

The victory for Duke came on a night where the Blue Devils honored assistant coach Carla Overbeck for her induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, which will take place on Monday in Oneonta, N.Y.

The Blue Devils will close out the weekend with a 5:00 p.m. contest against the Catamounts from Western Carolina on Sunday.

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