No. 9 Duke Blanks No. 5 Maryland to Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals

Friday, November 15

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1:30 p.m.

Duke University

(13-6)

Maryland

(13-7)

Duke University

Maryland

Duke field hockey Kira Curland jumps up to celebrate goal

Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 9 Duke Blanks No. 5 Maryland to Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals

11/15/2024 4:55:00 PM | Field Hockey

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Duke senior midfielder Kira Curland knocked in a redirect in the 38th minute to lead the ninth-ranked Blue Devils to a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 5 Maryland in NCAA Field Hockey Championship action Friday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium.

The Blue Devils (13-6) blanked the Terrapins (13-7) for the program's record 12th shutout of the season. Duke's Frederique Wollaert had three saves for her ninth shutout. Josephine Palde had the assist on the lone goal.

How it Happened

Duke started the game as the aggressor, controlling the majority of possession in its offensive end in the opening 10 minutes. The Blue Devils earned one penalty corner, but Maryland's flyer did well to block Macy Szukics' shot.
Defensively, the Blue Devils were stellar in the opening 15 minutes. Duke did not allow the Terrapins a single circle entry as it frustrated Maryland with a high press. The Blue Devils managed two shots heading into the first break scoreless.
Maryland earned its first circle entry in the opening minute of the second quarter. Frederique Wollaert did well to come off her line and kick the ball away from danger as the Blue Devils went the other way. Alaina McVeigh had Duke's best look three minutes into the period, firing a shot right at Maryland goalie Alyssa Klebasko.
The Blue Devils continued to stay on the front foot but were unable to find the back of the cage. Duke held Maryland, which came in averaging 13.5 shots per game, without a shot and no penalty corners. Duke had two corners in the opening 30 minutes.
Maryland came out of halftime with increased intensity, earning a penalty corner four minutes into the quarter. Wollaert came up with a great save on Emma Deberdine's open look on cage and the Blue Devils blocked the ensuing rebound to keep the game scoreless.
It was third time's the charm for the Blue Devils as Kira Curland knocked down a redirect on a Macy Szukics sweep from the penalty corner. Josephine Palde had the initial redirect to the left post where Curland put it in for her third goal of the season and the 1-0 lead in the 38th minute.
After Maryland had three shots in the opening minutes, Duke didn't allow the Terrapins a look at the goal heading into the final 15 minutes with a 1-0 lead.
The Terrapins, looking for the equalizer, earned a penalty corner with seven minutes remaining but once again were denied by Wollaert.
Playing two players down due to a green card and an empty net for the Terrapins for the final two minutes, the Blue Devils buckled down on defense to secure the 1-0 shutout victory.
Wollaert finished her afternoon with three saves while Klebasko had two stops. Duke outshot the Terrapins 7-5 for the game and had a 5-2 advantage in penalty corners.

Notes

Duke improves to 27-19 in NCAA Championship action and 16-4 in the first round. The Blue Devils are 3-3 against Maryland and 5-6 when playing in Chapel Hill.
The Blue Devils recorded their 12th shutout of the season, breaking the program's single season record of 11.
Maryland entered the game averaging 13.5 shots per game and only had five. Duke has allowed double-digit shots in just three games this season and has held each of its 19 foes below their season average.
Kira Curland scored a goal for the second straight game after serving as the inserter on a penalty corner. The goal was the 16th of her career and her 46th point. She has double-digit points for Duke for the second straight season.
Frederique recorded her ninth shutout of the season, lowering her season goals against average to 0.54. The Blue Devil single-season record is 0.70 set by Lori Stark in 1986.
Duke is set to take on No. 1 seed North Carolina in the quarterfinals. The Blue Devils are 1-3 against the Tar Heels in NCAA Championship games. The rivals last faced each other in the 2015 NCAA semifinals, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Duke's lone win against North Carolin in NCAA postseason action was Nov. 14, 2004 – a 2-1 victory in Chapel Hill.

Up Next

Duke returns to Karen Shelton Stadium to take on No. 1 seed and undefeated North Carolina Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils field hockey, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeFH".

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