Blue Devils Conclude Season with 1-0 Loss at Louisville

Thursday, October 26

Louisville, Ky.

6 p.m.

Duke University

6-7-3, 2-5-3

Louisville

4-9-5, 3-5-2

Duke

Louisville

Photo by: Jordan Prather

Blue Devils Conclude Season with 1-0 Loss at Louisville

10/26/2023 8:56:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 25th-ranked women's soccer team concluded its 2023 campaign on Thursday evening with a 1-0 loss at Louisville. The Blue Devils featured 15 shots on the night, but couldn't get anything past the Cardinal defense.

The Blue Devils finished the season with a 6-7-3 overall and 2-5-3 ACC mark. Duke failed to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2014 and only the third time under head coach Robbie Church over his 23 seasons with the Blue Devils.

How It Happened
•   After Louisville attempted the first shot that was saved by Blue Devil goalkeeper Leah Freeman, Duke senior Grace Watkins was fouled just outside the box. Sophomore Kat Rader fired a free kick that went off the crossbar and out of bounds in the first four minutes.
•   Rader had another opportunity in the ninth minute as she beat the goalkeeper to the ball, cut to the right and fired a shot from 15 yards, but a Cardinal defender cleared the attempt away. Then two minutes later Rader grabbed a deflected ball and was one-v-one with the Louisville keeper in the box, but her attempt sailed high over the crossbar.
•   Louisville was able to get on the board at the 35:45 mark as Emma Hiscock beat a couple of Blue Devil defenders to a ball and placed it inside the right post to take a 1-0 lead.
•   At the end of the first half, Duke held a 5-4 shot advantage, but only one attempt was on goal. Rader had three attempts, while freshman defender Cameron Roller had a career-high two shots.
•   Duke had its first good look at the goal at the 54:11 mark in the second half as Watkins settled a cleared ball from the Cardinal keeper, but Louisville goalkeeper Erynn Floyd made a diving stop to her left to keep the Blue Devils off the board.
•   A little over two minutes later, senior Katie Groff grabbed a failed clear attempt from the Cardinals and blasted a shot from outside the box that went high over the crossbar.
•   Duke tried to rally late as senior Maggie Graham found Watkins at the 12-yard mark, but her attempt was saved by Floyd in the 82nd minute.
•   Sophomore Carina Lageyre added a shot in the 85th minute, but was blocked as well.
•   In the final 20 seconds, Watkins tried to feed a leaping Rader for the header, but the ball was just long.
•   Duke held a 15-6 advantage in shots, but only three were on goal.

Notes
•   Senior Maggie Graham made her 50th career start and for the first time this season played up front at forward.
•   Grace Watkins and Kat Rader led Duke with four shots each.
•   Duke finished with a school record for fewest goals (15) and corner kicks (61) in a season. The 17 assists were the second-fewest in a season for the Blue Devils.
•   The senior class finished their career with 49 wins, but after advancing to three straight NCAA Tournament quarterfinals they were not able to advance in 2023.

Quotes
•   "First of all, I would like to thank our seniors for a great, great four years. They have done nothing but been phenomenal young ladies in the classroom, on the field and in the community. They have given us a lot of leadership as well to." – Duke head coach Robbie Church

•   "This is obviously very disappointing for our program to go out at this stage and not make the NCAA Tournament. We have to learn from this and grow from this. We have to remember this moment how it is right now – how much it hurts and how much it stings. We will be back. I promise you that." – Duke head coach Robbie Church

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