Lipp, Blue Devils Sink Wolfpack, 2-0

Sunday, November 1

Raleigh, N.C.

1:00 p.m.

Duke University

8-7-4, 4-4-2ACC

N.C. State

8-9-2, 2-7-1ACC

Duke

NC State

Lipp, Eclipse Select Down Kerr, FC Bucks in U-19 Nationals

Lipp, Blue Devils Sink Wolfpack, 2-0

11/1/2009 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

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RALEIGH, N.C. - Needing a victory to secure a spot in the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament next week, Blue Devil freshman Nicole Lipp registered her first two career goals to lead the Duke women's soccer team to a 2-0 win over N.C. State on Sunday at Dail Soccer Field in Raleigh, N.C.

With the victory, Duke closed the regular season with an 8-7-4 overall and 4-4-2 ledger in ACC action, while the Wolfpack finished with an 8-9-2 overall and 2-7-1 league record. The Blue Devils secured tied for sixth in the ACC standings and due to tiebreakers will be the eighth seed in the ACC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

"I am really, really proud of the team," said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. "In the second half, the kids just made up their mind. They knew what was at stake -- we had 45 minutes left on our season -- there could have been a possibility of that. We started winning balls -- we became ball-winners in the second half. Nicole Lipp, who scored both of the goals, started winning a lot of the balls in the air. We started to dominate and pinned them really from the beginning of the second half all the way through. They had a couple of counter attacks, but we became ball-winners and started connecting passes. We were much more aggressive in the final third."

The first half was very even on both sides of the field as N.C. State held a 4-2 advantage in shots. Blue Devil sophomore Cody Newman had Duke's best scoring chance of the first half as senior Jane Alukonis sent a nice feed to the midfielder on the left side. Newman, who is from Bellerose, N.Y., drove the ball into the box and set up her right foot for a shot that Wolfpack goalkeeper Kim Kern saved.

Senior Elisabeth Redmond attempted Duke's other shot in the first half as the Blue Devils were held without an attempt for the final 29:14 of the first stanza.

As the first half was coming to a close, the Wolfpack had a great opportunity to break the scoreless tie but Duke freshman goalkeeper Tara Campbell saved a header from Kara Blosser with 40 seconds remaining.

"The first half we were not as sharp as we have been," said Church. "We were not bad, but it seemed like we were a half a step off; defensively, offensively. We didn't pressure them well, we rushed our play offensively and we didn't create many opportunities. The first half was frustrating and thought N.C. State played really well in the first half and led to many of our problems."

N.C. State came out in the second half and took the first two shots, but the Blue Devils came back with two consecutive attempts in the 51st and 52nd minutes by Redmond. Junior Gretchen Miller fired a blast off a free kick in the 55th minute before the Blue Devils got on the board two minutes later.

Newman made a run down the left side of the field and sent a cross into the box where Kern tried to make a stop, but the ball got away and Lipp knocked rebound into the middle of the net for her first career goal from 12 yards out.

"I made a mental note to get myself forward more," said Lipp. "I got myself in the box and it paid off [today]."

The Wolfpack outshot the Blue Devils 3-2 over the next 12 minutes before Duke was primed to take a 2-0 advantage. With 17:43 remaining in the match, Newman was taken down in the box giving the Blue Devils a penalty kick opportunity. Redmond stepped up and sent an attempt wide right past the post.

The Blue Devils added an insurance goal in the 81st minute as Lipp stole the ball away from a Wolfpack defender and drove in-between two N.C. State defenders and hit the left corner of the net for her second goal of the match. A product of Lake Forest, Ill., Lipp had played mostly at center back this season until moving to mostly the midfield the final seven matches of the year.

In goal for the Blue Devils, Campbell notched her sixth shutout of the year as she finished with seven saves in 90 minutes. Her 83 saves on the season now ranks tied for sixth on Duke's single season saves chart. She is 10 away from the Blue Devil record of 93 held by Thora Helgadottir and Melissa Carr.

"I think as a team, we decided that we wanted the season to go on and everyone was just fighting so we could do that," said Lipp. "Everyone showed that from the way we were going into 50-50 balls and winning head balls in the air. So I definitely think it was a team effort. The mentality was great -- we came out there and knew what we needed to get done."

N.C. State outshot Duke, 13-12, but the Blue Devils held a 10-7 shot advantage in the second half.

"It was a great second half, with everything on the line, to be able to focus and concentrate on the things that we talked about," commented Church. "You have to give it to the kids. They are the ones who decided themselves -- they are the ones who made up their minds that hey they wanted to extend this season, wanted play in the ACC Tournament and give us a chance to continue to play in the NCAA Tournament."

Duke will next play in the ACC Tournament first round on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The official bracket and match times will be released on Monday by the ACC Office.

"What a great, great accomplishment that is in this conference," said Church. "For us to finish sixth -- all the things we have gone through, all the players that we have lost during the course of the year and the way we started out. I think it is just outstanding, a tribute to the character of the ladies on this team and the heart on this team."

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