Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Notre Dame on September 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
Women's Soccer
at Notre Dame
Photo by: Peter Raider, Duke Athletics
No. 4 Duke Opens 2025 with Test Against No. 11 Penn State Thursday
8/13/2025 11:33:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Live Stats l Watch on ACC Network Extra l Twitter l 2025 Media Guide l Media Hub l Buy Tickets l Student Tickets l Game Day Information l Match Notes l Digital Program
Match 1
#11 Penn State (0-0-0) at #4 Duke (0-0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 - 7 PM (ET) - ACC Network Extra
Durham, N.C. (Koskinen Stadium)
ACC Network Extra Talent: Dean Linke (PXP), Matt Stradley (Color)
NEED TO KNOW
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
THE SERIES WITH PENN STATE
SCOUTING PENN STATE
DUKE versus the big ten
HEY, I KNOW YOU!
SEASON OPENERS
A WIN WOULD...
VARIOUS BLUE DEVIL TIDBITS
DUKE RANKED NO. 4 IN PRESEASON
PRESEASON ALL-ACC
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Match 1
#11 Penn State (0-0-0) at #4 Duke (0-0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 - 7 PM (ET) - ACC Network Extra
Durham, N.C. (Koskinen Stadium)
ACC Network Extra Talent: Dean Linke (PXP), Matt Stradley (Color)
NEED TO KNOW
- Fourth-ranked Duke is set to open the 2025 regular season Thursday, Aug. 14 as the Blue Devils host 11th-ranked Penn State at 7 p.m., inside Koskinen Stadium.
- Thursday's contest will be aired live on ACC Network Extra with Dean Linke (PXP) and Matt Stradley (Color) calling the action.
- The match on Thursday will mark the head coaching debut of Duke first year head coach Kieran Hall. Hall was an assistant coach over the last six years under the leadership of head coach Robbie Church, who retired following the 2024 campaign.
- Thursday's contest will be a rematch of the 2015 NCAA Championship match that took place in Cary, N.C. The Nittany Lions defeated the Blue Devils, 1-0.
- Duke will face two ranked opponents (#11 Penn State & #6 Arkansas in two out of the first three matches).
- All of the Blue Devils' home matches will be aired on either ACC Network, ESPNU or ACC Network Extra.
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
- Duke boasts a 13-match unbeaten streak at home in Koskinen Stadium after the Blue Devils went 12-0-1 in 2024. The Blue Devils also feature an 11-match winning streak versus non-conference opponents at home.
- Over the last four years, Duke features a 12-2 record in the month of August.
- The Blue Devils open the season with only two matches the first two weeks of the year.
- Duke featured three players on the United Soccer Coaches watch lists -- Cameron Roller (Defenders), Mia Oliaro (Midfielders) and Kat Rader (Forwards).
- The Blue Devils will play five out their first six matches at home in 2025 with the lone road match at sixth-ranked Arkansas.
- Mia Oliaro has scored a goal or registered an assist in 12 of the past 15 matches entering 2025. In 42 contests in college, when she nets a point in a game her team is undefeated (16-0).
- Duke's seven-member recruiting class was tabbed No. 3 nationally (was No. 1 at one point) heading into the 2025 campaign -- Avery Oder (No. 6 recruit), Jocelyn Travers (No. 16 recruit), Molly Vapensky (No. 22 recruit), Lexi Coughlin (No. 28 recruit), Daya King (No. 35 recruit), Kaylee Kim (No. 82 recruit) and Kosette Koons-Perdikis.
- The Blue Devils return seven starters from a season ago. Duke also welcomes back three of its top four scorers from a season ago – Mia Minestrella (12 goals, 7 assists), Mia Oliaro (8 goals, 13 assists) and Devin Lynch (7 goals, 10 assists) – and six of their top nine scorers from 2024 – Cameron Roller (4 goals, 4 assists), Carina Lageyre (two goals, 6 assists) and Farrah Walters (3 goals, 3 assists).
- Following the 2024 campaign, five Duke players signed professional contracts in the NWSL -- Hannah Bebar (Bay FC), Leah Freeman (Bay FC), Maggie Graham (Houston Dash), Ella Hase (Racing Louisville FC) and Mary Long (Kansas City Current).
THE SERIES WITH PENN STATE
- Duke and Penn State will meet for the seventh time in program history with the Nittany Lions leading the series, 4-1-1.
- It will mark the first meeting since Dec. 6, 2015, which was the national championship match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Penn State won, 1-0.
- Thursday's contest will be just the second in Durham and first since Sept. 7, 2014 in which Penn State won, 4-3.
- The lone win for Duke in the series came on Sept. 10, 1999 in Chapel Hill, N.C., with the Blue Devils totaling a 2-1 victory.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
- Penn State is preseason ranked No. 11 nationally and is coming off advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals a season ago, while totaling a 15-7-3 ledger.
- The Nittany Lions return six starters, including All-American selection Kaitlyn MacBean (16 goals).
- Penn State brought in the fifth-rated recruiting class in the nation.
DUKE versus the big ten
- Duke holds a record of 35-24-7 against Big Ten schools. The Blue Devils last faced a Big Ten team on November 24, 2024, in Durham, in a 2-0 win.
HEY, I KNOW YOU!
- A number of Blue Devils played with Kayleigh Herr and Bella Ayscue at the NC Courage Academy.
SEASON OPENERS
- Duke holds a 31-5-1 all-time in season openers.
- The Blue Devils are 16-0 in home season openers.
- Duke has opened the season against a ranked opponent eight times since 1996, holding a 5-3 ledger. Of those contests, three have been at home and the Blue Devils.
- From 1988 to 2003, Duke held a 15-1 record in season openers.
- The Blue Devils have scored two or more goals in 23 of the 37 season openers.
A WIN WOULD...
- Give Kieran Hall a victory in his first match as the head coach at Duke.
- Improve to 17-0 in home season openers
- Move to 32-5-1 all-time in season openers
VARIOUS BLUE DEVIL TIDBITS
- Carina Lageyre and Kat Rader have started 36 consecutive matches in a Blue Devil uniform.
- Cameron Roller has started 30 matches in a row.
DUKE RANKED NO. 4 IN PRESEASON
- For the ninth time out of the last 11 years, Duke has been preseason ranked in the top-10 nationally as the United Soccer Coaches released its preseason top-25 ledger with the Blue Devils polling at No. 4 overall.
- The No. 4 ranking marks the third time out of the last four seasons Duke has been a preseason top-five team and the ninth time in school history.
- The top four teams in the poll are from the ACC with North Carolina (1), Notre Dame (2), Florida State (3) and Duke (4). Southern California (5), Arkansas (6), Stanford (7), UCLA (8), TCU (9) and Wake Forest (10) round out the top 10 teams. Virginia Tech (14) and Virginia (15) were also two of the eight ACC squads included in the top-25 rankings.
- In looking at Duke's non-conference schedule, the Blue Devils will face early tests against Penn State (11) and Arkansas (6).
PRESEASON ALL-ACC
- The ACC office released the preseason All-ACC Women's Soccer Team with Duke receiving three student-athletes – Mia Minestrella, Mia Oliaro and Cameron Roller – among the 14-member team voted on by the head coaches.
- The Blue Devils received 208 points and were voted No. 4 in the ACC Preseason Coaches poll. North Carolina (246) earned the top slot, while Notre Dame (229), Florida State (225), Duke (208), Stanford (201), Wake Forest (172), Virginia (169), Virginia Tech (162), Clemson (132), California (124), Pitt (111), SMU (83), Boston College (81), Louisville (67), Miami (44), NC State (40) and Syracuse (18) rounded out the poll.
- Duke's three selections on the preseason team ranked second behind the Tar Heels' four honorees.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
- The Blue Devils boast a 72-14-10 record at the venue since the start of the 2017 campaign.
- Duke outscored its opponents 50-5 at home in 2024. The Blue Devils totaled program-record 50 goals at home last season, passing the previous mark of 40 from 2017.
- Mia Minestrella scored 10 of her 12 goals last season at Koskinen, while Mia Oliaro posted six and Devin Lynch has totaled five on the year.
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Friday, September 12
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