Hathorn?s Golden Goal Lifts Duke Past Hokies

Sunday, September 30

Durham, N.C.

2:00 p.m.

Duke University

6-2-2, 1-1ACC

Virginia Tech

4-4-1, 0-2ACC

OT 3

OT 4

Virginia Tech

Duke

Hathorn?s Golden Goal Lifts Duke Past Hokies

9/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.? Kelly Hathorn's left foot was golden on Sunday at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C., as the junior forward scored the game-winning, golden goal in the 103rd minute to give the Duke Women's Soccer Team a 1-0 victory over Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils improve to 6-2-2 overall and 1-1-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action, while the Hokies fell to 4-4-1, 0-2-0 in the ACC.

“It was a really entertaining soccer game,” said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. “Sunday afternoon's are tough games. You have to play with a lot of heart and grind it out. It was a typical ACC game. I am very, very happy. I thought we showed a lot of heart and a lot of determination. To be able to get the goal -- it was a huge win for us.”

The first 45 minutes of play featured two teams that didn't have much energy or attack in them. The Blue Devils did outshoot the Hokies, 6-2, but neither team had any excellent scoring opportunities.

“I don't think we had a lot of energy in the first half,” said Church. “That is what we told them at halftime -- we have to play with more energy. I thought we found better energy in the second half but I thought the last 20 minutes we found more energy.”

In the second half, both teams came out on the attack with Virginia Tech almost getting on the board in the 52nd minute as Jessica Varela grabbed a ball that bounced over the Duke defenders heads. With Blue Devil goalkeeper Allison Lipsher charging at her, Varela tried to chip the ball over Lipsher's head at the top of the box but the 5-9 senior from Honolulu, Hawaii got her left hand on the shot attempt for the block to keep the score knotted at 0-0.

Duke came right back as sophomore Jane Alukonis found junior Lorraine Quinn in the midfield. Quinn, a native of Farmingdale, N.Y., made a couple great moves and fired off a right-footed shot that was going in the top of the goal but Hokie goalkeeper Ashley Owens was able to get a hand on it to send over the crossbar in the 55th minute.

Less than a minute later, the Blue Devils had the best opportunity of the match as Quinn sent a feed down the left side of the field to Hathorn. A native of Durham, N.C., Hathorn then found sophomore Elisabeth Redmond for a wide-open shot that went right to Owens for the save.

Virginia Tech closed out regulation with two very good scoring chances off the feet of Marika Gray. In the 68th minute, Gray dribbled down the right side and then beat a Duke defender before firing a shot towards the left side of the Blue Devil goal, but Lipsher made an excellent diving stop to preserve the shutout. Gray had another opportunity in the 76th minute she ripped a shot that went just right of the goal.

At the end of regulation, Duke held an 11-5 shot advantage.

In the first overtime, both teams continued on the attack with the Blue Devils posting the two best chances. With sophomore forward KayAnne Gummersall out of the match due to an injured ankle, Church moved freshman Kendall Bradley up front in overtime and she made the most of her opportunity.

In the 93rd minute, sophomore CJ Ludemann and Hathorn found Bradley for a header from eight yards out that went high over the crossbar. Then exactly a minute later, Hathorn set up Bradley for another attempt from the right side that hit off the left post. The first overtime featured five shots for the Blue Devils and three for the Hokies.

“The first half we didn't play our game,” said Hathorn. “We fed in and played kind of how they wanted to play. But once we picked it up and played our game, especially in overtime -- Kendall had three or four really good chances in the first period. We played a lot better in overtime.”

As it seemed Virginia Tech started to wear down in the second overtime, the Blue Devils kept attacking. Early in the period, Gray tried to drive down the left side of the box but Lipsher came out from the goal and made another impressive stop before Gray was able to attempt a shot.

Duke then started to get a little momentum as Quinn fired a left-footed shot that went just left at the 101:26 mark, but just over two minutes later the moment was golden for the Blue Devils.

Alukonis, who is a product of Cocoa Beach, Fla., took a throw-in from Redmond and dribbled the ball up the midfield where she sent a feed to Hathorn in the 103rd minute. The forward took the ball and passed it down the field about eight yards to herself and blasted a left-footed shot that went into the back right of the net past Owens to give Duke a 1-0 victory at the 103:50 mark.

“We really wanted to win today not just because it was an ACC game but because it was our trainer's [Elizabeth Zanolli] last game,” said Hathorn. “So there was a lot going into today. It was a lot of excitement. We needed this win.”

The goal ignited a Blue Devil celebration in the Hokie goal box. With the victory, Duke improves to 4-0 all-time in the series against Virginia Tech.

“Jane Alukonis did a great job of running at their back line and drawing their back line,” said Church on Hathorn's game-winning goal. “She found Kelly and she did a good job of holding the defender off and finishing.”

Picking up the victory in goal was Lipsher, who also registered her 30th career shutout. She moves within five shutouts of breaking the Duke all-time shutout record and tying the ACC all-time mark. On the day, Lipsher posted three saves, while her counterpart for the Hokies added six.

“I thought the defense played really well today,” said Lipsher. “It is tough to play against teams like that as they are always looking to attack you and get in behind you. You have to be really organized and I think the back four really stepped up really well.”

For the match, Duke outshot Virginia Tech, 18-8. In the two overtime periods, the Blue Devils held a 7-3 shot advantage. Duke concluded a six-match homestand on the afternoon with a 5-1 record. Out of the last eight overtime contests for the Blue Devils, the victory is the first for Duke.

“They were getting really tired and we tried as hard as we could to keep the ball on the ground and play our style, which works to our advantage,” said Quinn. “We finally were able to put one away.”

Duke will next hit the road as the Blue Devils will travel to ninth-ranked Boston College on Friday, Oct. 5 at 7:00 p.m.

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