Minestrella’s Hat Trick Sends Duke into the NCAA Second Round

Friday, November 14

Durham, N.C.

6 p.m.

Duke University

14-4-1, 7-3-0

Elon

11-3-7, 4-2-3

Elon

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Minestrella’s Hat Trick Sends Duke into the NCAA Second Round

11/14/2025 9:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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DURHAM, N.C. – For the second year in a row in the NCAA Tournament first round, Duke women's soccer standout Mia Minestrella registered at least three goals as the junior propelled the Blue Devils to a 3-0 victory over Elon Friday evening on Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.

Minestrella, who hails from Redondo Beach, California, collected a hat trick one year after tying the NCAA Tournament record with four goals against Howard. With the victory, Duke improved to 14-4-1 and will next face UCF in the second round Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m., in Durham.

How It Happened

The Blue Devils came out and attempted the first two shots of the match by junior Mia Oliaro, but both went wide.
Duke took a 1-0 lead at the 10:38 mark as senior Devin Lynch sent a corner kick into the box where the Elon defense cleared it the top of the box. Blue Devil redshirt junior Kat Rader lofted a ball to the eight-yard mark where junior Mia Minestrella won a battle with the Phoenix keeper and headed the ball backwards into the wide-open goal.
Oliaro had a great chance in the 21st minute, but an Elon defender saved a shot off the line.
The Blue Devil tandem of Rader and Minestrella did it again at the 22:54 mark as Rader used some good footwork to drive towards the endline, passed towards the near post where Minestrella used her left foot to hit the far-right corner of the net to put Duke ahead, 2-0.
At the end of the first half, the Blue Devils held a 14-1 shot advantage with Minestrella and Oliaro leading the charge with three each.
Senior Devin Lynch blasted a right-footed shot in the first minute of the second half that Phoenix goalkeeper Katie Bisgrove made a leaping save the keep Duke off the board.
Minestrella added a third goal in the 48th minute as freshman Jocelyn Travers sent a corner kick into the box where Oliaro passed in front of the goal to Minestrella, who redirected it past the Phoenix keeper to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead.
Duke finished the match with a 29-1 shot advantage with Rader totaling eight and Minestrella six. The eight shots by Rader were tied for the third-most in Duke history in the NCAA Tournament.

Notes

Last year in the NCAA Tournament first round against Howard, Mia Minestrella tied a NCAA record with four goals.
Prior to Minestrella's first round performances the last two years, only Kaitlyn Kerr's hat trick in 2012 was the only time a Blue Devil had three or more goals in an NCAA Tournament game.
Duke improved to 53-25-11 in NCAA Tournament play all time and 33-3-1 in NCAA play in Durham.
The Blue Devils have won 14 straight opening NCAA matches in Durham.
Overall, in the NCAA Tournament first round Duke has won 10 matches in a row.
Duke has won 22 out of the last 25 home contests.
The Blue Devils have scored a goal in the first half in six matches in a row and 13 times on the season.
Kat Rader has scored or assisted in 14 of her 18 matches this season.
With her two points on the night, Rader has moved into tied for 10th place on Duke's all-time points list with 78.
With her 15 goals on the season, Minestrella now ranks tied for sixth on Duke's single season goals scored list.
Minestrella's 34 points on the year now ranks tied for ninth on Duke's single season charts.
Mia Oliaro totaled her 24th career assist and 11th on the season. Her 11 assists ranks tied for eighth on Duke's single season charts.
Duke's 29 shots on the night were tied for the third-most by the Blue Devils in NCAA Tournament play.
In goal for Duke, Caroline Dysart played 90 minutes and notched her eighth shutout of the season.

Next Match

Second-seeded Duke will next host UCF in the NCAA Tournament second round Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".

#GoDuke

Duke Quotes

Head Coach Kieran Hall

Opening Statement:
"We felt really happy to win and move on to the next round. I think Elon is a really good team, really tricky team, really well organized, good energy in transition, and they came out of the gates with a lot of energy. I think that sort of surprised us a little bit, but once we found our rhythm and flow of the game, we felt like we got a hold of it. Really pleased to be one of 32 teams by the end of the weekend to still be playing."

On refocusing the team for their next match
"I do not think there is any refocusing needed. I think they are focused. I think they are hungry. I think they are motivated to win the next game, and I think that was the case going into this game. We do not look beyond that. So, at this point it is just about us continuing to do what we have been doing and do it better. That is the plan. So, for me and the coaching staff, it is just to make sure these guys just keep doing what they are doing because it is doing great."

Junior Mia Minestrella
On her hat trick and what allows her to play freedom and confidence:
"Honestly, my teammates. I think they are a huge credit to my success. I think every single person on this team has helped me get better every single day, and I just owe everything to them. They have just been so amazing. Obviously, the coaching staff has helped me too, but my teammates being so uplifting and pushing me every single day in training and off the field too has just helped me so much. I credit everything to them."

Redshirt Junior Kat Rader
On her two assist tonight and partnership with Mia Minestrella
"We have known each other for a long time, since we were 14ish. But this year especially, I feel like we have gotten a lot closer off the field and that has definitely really helped us on the field. We want to show up for each other and find each other in the best spots, whether that is her playing me or me playing her. I think we have just built a really good relationship off the field, and it is translating really well on the field too."

Elon Quotes

Elon Head Coach Neil Payne

Opening Statement:
"I want to wish Duke all the very best in the next round. We came up against a good team, but I'm really proud of my team, the way we performed all season. It wasn't about tonight, it was about the entire season, and I couldn't be happier with the response that we've got, that we've had, especially over the last month and postseason play. I can't speak highly enough of my team."

On the season and the team moving forward:
"Well, I think we take excitement from it. We're going to miss players like Ashley, but we, you know, we, we missed that. We lost our captain two weeks before the season, which was unexpected. Considering the season we've had, without a leading player, it shows us that our development is working. Our players are getting better and better all the time. It's a shame that the season has to end now, but I think we all need a bit of an exhale and a bit of a breather, and I think we're looking forward to that. I'm really excited for what this group can bring next year."

On playing a high press rather than a low block against a talented Duke team:
"It's pick your poison. You can either drop off and invite all the pressure, or you can play like the way we've been playing. And I felt like we were a bit of a hybrid, because at times I felt we were a bit too low. So, we try to get forward. It's not just about today's game. It's about framing today going into next season, because if we can compete in this kind of game, then when we hit conference next season, then we'll feel confident about our performance tonight. We also have a nil-nil against NC State in season, which was a good result. Any time you can test yourself against a power four team, and try and compete, and try to beat yourself as often as you can- we just felt like we would get more out of the game with that approach than we would just totally sitting back and getting nothing out of the game. Nothing wrong with that style of play. I just don't feel like our players would fully buy into that. Now, you know you saw throughout the game there's moments where you have to do that, regardless, and when we did that, I thought we defended very well."

Senior Ashley Brehio
Advice for the next generation of Elon players:
"I think one of the most important things is to have a good attitude. Keeping that throughout the entire season always works better than if the attitude is lacking. I think any freshmen coming in, or any players returning, making sure the attitude is there, wanting to win, wanting to do the best for the team. I think that's super important for the team culture, for winning games, for making it into playoffs.

Redshirt Junior Ava Hellner
On looking forward to next season:
"I also think with this year, it's shown that we can win our conference, and we can compete with teams like Duke. Just coming in, believing that we actually can do it. I think part of last year is like we didn't fully have the confidence that we could go all the way, and now that we've seen it, I want everyone to take confidence from that and move forward with our season acting like we are the best in the conference."