Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #2 Notre Dame (Semifinals) on November 6, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 2
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Final
Women's Soccer
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vs #2 Notre Dame (Semifinals)
2
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Freshman Standout Avery Oder Makes Fast Impact
11/9/2025 8:22:00 AM | Women's Soccer
A product of Roswell, Ga., Riley Jackson is in her second season with the North Carolina Courage. Once a Duke women's soccer commit, Jackson signed with the Courage during high school as a 17-year-old. Jackson is a former No. 1 ranked recruit nationally and was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jackson will be a contributing writer during the 2025 season for the Blue Devils telling stories of the Duke women's soccer program.
DURHAM, N.C.-- Ever since she was 13, Avery Oder has been an avid follower of women's college soccer. Now Oder is making her mark in her first season with the Blue Devils, scoring a stunning upper 90 goal and tallying an assist in Duke's 3-2 win against Carolina recently. Participating in arguably one of the greatest rivalries in college soccer was a dream come true for young Oder, being one of only Duke seven freshmen to score in the long-standing series.
"I have been watching college soccer for a very long time. I was probably 13 when I started really paying attention to the games and began looking up to girls playing at that level. Every year I was excited to watch the Duke versus North Carolina game because it was such a fun rivalry," said Oder. "Getting to play in the rivalry is so much different than just hearing about it. The intensity is so much greater on the field. Being able to score was incredible and celebrating with my teammates was so special."
Unlike most of her classmates, Oder arrived at Duke a semester early. Finding her footing on campus and building relationships with the team in the spring gave her confidence going into the fall season. Learning the demands and expectations of the college game allowed Oder a smooth transition into her first season with the squad. Scoring within four minutes of the first match of the season, becoming the 19th Blue Devil freshman to score a goal in her first collegiate start and the first since Michelle Cooper in 2021, the beginning of Oder's Duke career has been nothing short of exciting.
"That first game was exactly how I wanted to start, getting a goal early against a good Penn State team and taking some of the pressure off," said Oder. "Our two exhibition games prepared me well for our first game and I feel like I had really good momentum leading up to it. My family was there watching and I was super happy that they got to see my first goal."
Coming to Duke in the spring also helped Oder adjust to the intensity of college soccer and grow various aspects of her game. Learning the style of play and defensive expectations from both the coaching staff and veteran players and getting to put her growth to the test in competitive spring games provided Oder an advantage transitioning into the regular season.
"Coming in the spring helped me so much," said Oder. "Understanding the formation and building chemistry with my teammates. Getting used to the school and the environment was huge for me. I already felt so comfortable coming into this fall, understanding what the coaches and the team needed from me was so helpful. The defensive side of my game has gotten a lot stronger. In club the demand defensively is not as high, especially for my position as a forward. Coming in early I got to learn the press and learn how we want to defend from the older girls up top. I feel like I have been able to hit the ground running in the fall because of that. Playing five spring games and practicing that in-game was helpful for me too"
"I think Avery arriving in the spring was obviously helpful because she got on board well ahead of the season, got used to this new environment and to the demands and standards of the program," said Duke head coach Kieran Hall. "It takes everyone a different period of time, but for Avery it took her a few weeks to really settle in and get used to the work out of possession especially. But she really embraced that. The team, in general, were really demanding of her and she embraced that understanding of the standards. I think what we are seeing in the past couple of months is just a byproduct of the work that she's put in and her embracing the standards that we have."
Leaving high school early and moving across the country is a big decision to make for a young athlete. However, Oder, a California native, had no doubts that enrolling at Duke a semester early was the right thing for her academic and athletic development.
"I knew I wanted to come in early," said Oder. "I wanted to come into my freshman fall performing the best that I can and helping the team in any way possible. I wanted to push myself and challenge myself by taking the next step. I didn't think much about the things that I was going to miss out on, the hardest part was probably having to leave my family early. I am so grateful I did it, it has been so worth it for me."
Duke's roster includes many talented veterans that serve a vital role in the development of its younger players. Oder credits much of her early learning to upperclassmen role models who have helped her assimilation into the squad.
"Mia Oliaro and Carina [Lageyre] have been so great for me to learn from, but everyone has been so good about welcoming the freshmen," said Oder. "Especially with me coming in the spring at kind of an awkward time. They were so good at checking in and supporting me in anything that I needed. I have built so many amazing connections and friendships just by coming here early. The people around me have all been great role models in teaching me how we represent Duke women's soccer on campus. I am really lucky to be with such a special, kind, welcoming group of people."
Oder started her first 13 matches with the Blue Devils and has played in all 18 contests. She has scored six goals and registered four assists for 16 points. Her 16 points ranks fourth on the Duke squad. Oder recently scored in back-to-back matches for the second time this season as she hit the back of the net versus North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Her six goals are tied second-most in the ACC as well. For her efforts this season, Oder was tabbed to the All-ACC Freshman team.
"Obviously, with the ball she has these special qualities and it's really about putting herself in the right areas of the field to showcase those," said Hall. "I think the other forwards that we have really help her because they are all really dynamic and have a good understanding of the game, a really good soccer IQ. All those different reasons put her in a good position to do well."
The California connection of Oder and fellow forward Mia Minestrella has shown on the field so far this season. Both representing Beach FC in the ECNL Southwest conference and playing together on a summer league team for the past two summers, Oder and Minestrella have continued to grow their previous connection on the pitch at Duke.
The duo have combined to score 18 goals up front for the Blue Devils
"Mia and I both played at Beach FC and played on a summer team together. We were able to develop really good chemistry from that. She was also very helpful in my transition here, helping me on and off the field," said Oder.
Oder earned quality recognition before beginning her career at Duke, including being ranked as the sixth overall recruit TopDrawerSoccer, the U17 ECNL National Player of the Year and winning the ECNL National Championship with her club team. Oder handles the pressure of expectation by staying confident in her ability and focusing on cultivating her impressive skillset to help the team's success.
"I have always tried to stay levelheaded and focus on my play rather than the outside noise," said Oder. "What has really helped me is knowing what I do best and making sure I do those things. I focus on winning as a team and maintaining confidence in myself and the people around me."
Knowing that Duke was the place for her after seeing the passion and dedication of the coaching staff on her official visit, Oder strives to meet and even exceed the standards of the environment by remaining consistent in her ambition and contributions to the squad.
"There was a moment on my official visit post-game with the coaches breaking down the game," said Oder. "I saw how passionate they were about it and how detail oriented they were, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of this environment. That was the moment for me that I knew I wanted to come here. As a collective, we want to win as many games as possible and make the ACC Tournament. The National Championship is obviously our main goal but we are taking it game by game. As an individual I want to stay consistent, remain effective and help the team out as much as possible whether that is scoring or assisting."
The next opportunity to watch Oder and the Blue Devils will be in the NCAA Tournament, which opens Friday, Nov. 14. The Blue Devils await the NCAA Tournament selection show that will air Monday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m., live on NCAA.com.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.-- Ever since she was 13, Avery Oder has been an avid follower of women's college soccer. Now Oder is making her mark in her first season with the Blue Devils, scoring a stunning upper 90 goal and tallying an assist in Duke's 3-2 win against Carolina recently. Participating in arguably one of the greatest rivalries in college soccer was a dream come true for young Oder, being one of only Duke seven freshmen to score in the long-standing series."I have been watching college soccer for a very long time. I was probably 13 when I started really paying attention to the games and began looking up to girls playing at that level. Every year I was excited to watch the Duke versus North Carolina game because it was such a fun rivalry," said Oder. "Getting to play in the rivalry is so much different than just hearing about it. The intensity is so much greater on the field. Being able to score was incredible and celebrating with my teammates was so special."
Unlike most of her classmates, Oder arrived at Duke a semester early. Finding her footing on campus and building relationships with the team in the spring gave her confidence going into the fall season. Learning the demands and expectations of the college game allowed Oder a smooth transition into her first season with the squad. Scoring within four minutes of the first match of the season, becoming the 19th Blue Devil freshman to score a goal in her first collegiate start and the first since Michelle Cooper in 2021, the beginning of Oder's Duke career has been nothing short of exciting.
"That first game was exactly how I wanted to start, getting a goal early against a good Penn State team and taking some of the pressure off," said Oder. "Our two exhibition games prepared me well for our first game and I feel like I had really good momentum leading up to it. My family was there watching and I was super happy that they got to see my first goal."
Coming to Duke in the spring also helped Oder adjust to the intensity of college soccer and grow various aspects of her game. Learning the style of play and defensive expectations from both the coaching staff and veteran players and getting to put her growth to the test in competitive spring games provided Oder an advantage transitioning into the regular season.
"Coming in the spring helped me so much," said Oder. "Understanding the formation and building chemistry with my teammates. Getting used to the school and the environment was huge for me. I already felt so comfortable coming into this fall, understanding what the coaches and the team needed from me was so helpful. The defensive side of my game has gotten a lot stronger. In club the demand defensively is not as high, especially for my position as a forward. Coming in early I got to learn the press and learn how we want to defend from the older girls up top. I feel like I have been able to hit the ground running in the fall because of that. Playing five spring games and practicing that in-game was helpful for me too"
"I think Avery arriving in the spring was obviously helpful because she got on board well ahead of the season, got used to this new environment and to the demands and standards of the program," said Duke head coach Kieran Hall. "It takes everyone a different period of time, but for Avery it took her a few weeks to really settle in and get used to the work out of possession especially. But she really embraced that. The team, in general, were really demanding of her and she embraced that understanding of the standards. I think what we are seeing in the past couple of months is just a byproduct of the work that she's put in and her embracing the standards that we have."
Leaving high school early and moving across the country is a big decision to make for a young athlete. However, Oder, a California native, had no doubts that enrolling at Duke a semester early was the right thing for her academic and athletic development.
"I knew I wanted to come in early," said Oder. "I wanted to come into my freshman fall performing the best that I can and helping the team in any way possible. I wanted to push myself and challenge myself by taking the next step. I didn't think much about the things that I was going to miss out on, the hardest part was probably having to leave my family early. I am so grateful I did it, it has been so worth it for me."
Duke's roster includes many talented veterans that serve a vital role in the development of its younger players. Oder credits much of her early learning to upperclassmen role models who have helped her assimilation into the squad.
"Mia Oliaro and Carina [Lageyre] have been so great for me to learn from, but everyone has been so good about welcoming the freshmen," said Oder. "Especially with me coming in the spring at kind of an awkward time. They were so good at checking in and supporting me in anything that I needed. I have built so many amazing connections and friendships just by coming here early. The people around me have all been great role models in teaching me how we represent Duke women's soccer on campus. I am really lucky to be with such a special, kind, welcoming group of people."
Oder started her first 13 matches with the Blue Devils and has played in all 18 contests. She has scored six goals and registered four assists for 16 points. Her 16 points ranks fourth on the Duke squad. Oder recently scored in back-to-back matches for the second time this season as she hit the back of the net versus North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Her six goals are tied second-most in the ACC as well. For her efforts this season, Oder was tabbed to the All-ACC Freshman team.
"Obviously, with the ball she has these special qualities and it's really about putting herself in the right areas of the field to showcase those," said Hall. "I think the other forwards that we have really help her because they are all really dynamic and have a good understanding of the game, a really good soccer IQ. All those different reasons put her in a good position to do well."
The California connection of Oder and fellow forward Mia Minestrella has shown on the field so far this season. Both representing Beach FC in the ECNL Southwest conference and playing together on a summer league team for the past two summers, Oder and Minestrella have continued to grow their previous connection on the pitch at Duke.
The duo have combined to score 18 goals up front for the Blue Devils
"Mia and I both played at Beach FC and played on a summer team together. We were able to develop really good chemistry from that. She was also very helpful in my transition here, helping me on and off the field," said Oder.
Oder earned quality recognition before beginning her career at Duke, including being ranked as the sixth overall recruit TopDrawerSoccer, the U17 ECNL National Player of the Year and winning the ECNL National Championship with her club team. Oder handles the pressure of expectation by staying confident in her ability and focusing on cultivating her impressive skillset to help the team's success.
"I have always tried to stay levelheaded and focus on my play rather than the outside noise," said Oder. "What has really helped me is knowing what I do best and making sure I do those things. I focus on winning as a team and maintaining confidence in myself and the people around me."
Knowing that Duke was the place for her after seeing the passion and dedication of the coaching staff on her official visit, Oder strives to meet and even exceed the standards of the environment by remaining consistent in her ambition and contributions to the squad.
"There was a moment on my official visit post-game with the coaches breaking down the game," said Oder. "I saw how passionate they were about it and how detail oriented they were, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of this environment. That was the moment for me that I knew I wanted to come here. As a collective, we want to win as many games as possible and make the ACC Tournament. The National Championship is obviously our main goal but we are taking it game by game. As an individual I want to stay consistent, remain effective and help the team out as much as possible whether that is scoring or assisting."
The next opportunity to watch Oder and the Blue Devils will be in the NCAA Tournament, which opens Friday, Nov. 14. The Blue Devils await the NCAA Tournament selection show that will air Monday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m., live on NCAA.com.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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Friday, November 07
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. Louisville
Monday, November 03
Caroline Dysart Postgame Vs. Louisville
Monday, November 03
Devin Lynch Postgame Vs. Louisville
Monday, November 03
