McVeigh Nets 50th Career Goal; Duke Falls at Stanford, 3-2

Friday, October 9

Stanford, Calif.

9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

Duke University

(9-4, 4-2)

Stanford

(9-4, 2-3)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Duke	0	1	1	0	0	2
Stanford	1	0	0	1	1	3

Alaina McVeigh dribbles against Saint Joseph's

Photo by: Duke Athletics

McVeigh Nets 50th Career Goal; Duke Falls at Stanford, 3-2

10/9/2026 11:35:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

STANFORD, Calif. – Graduate student Alaina McVeigh scored her 50th career goal, but No. 3 Duke (9-3, 4-1 ACC) dropped a tightly-contested overtime match at Stanford (8-4, 1-3 ACC), 3-2, Friday evening in ACC field hockey action.

McVeigh's goal was her fifth of the season, moving her up to ninth all-time on the Duke career charts with 119 points, while also making her the ninth player to score 50 goals during their time as a Blue Devil. Junior Julia Boehringer also found the back of the net against the Cardinal, with the goal marking her second of the year.

The contest was a back-and-forth affair with both teams trading blows throughout the duration of the game. Duke finished the game with an 18-5 shot advantage and earned seven penalty corners, but Stanford goalkeeper Anya Jackson posted 10 saves and the Cardinal scored on all three of their shots on goal, which proved to be the difference.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Stanford got off to a quick start Friday evening, with Mia Clark converting on a penalty corner less than a minute into the game to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Duke was the more aggressive offensive team overall during the opening stanza, outshooting the Cardinal 9-1. The Blue Devils earned two set pieces and had six shots on target but were kept off the scoreboard, as Jackson showed she was up to the task making six saves.
The second quarter featured minimal offense as the teams alternated possession during the 15-minute session. The Blue Devils earned the lone shot of the frame, with the attempt coming via a penalty stroke in the 27th minute. Duke took full advantage, as Boehringer drilled her shot into the top-left corner to tie the game at 1-1 at 26:41.
Duke grabbed the lead midway through the third period after capitalizing on a Stanford miscue. After the swarming Blue Devil defense forced a Cardinal turnover in their own defensive third, McVeigh netted an insane goal to give the visitors a 2-1 edge at the 37:03 mark. The Landsdale, Pennsylvania, native was in mid-fall on the attempt, but her eyes never moved off the cage as she flipped the shot up and in for her 50th career goal.
Feeding off the goal, the Blue Devils ramped up the intensity as they looked to increase their lead. Duke fired two more shots on net, but the attempts were turned away.
Stanford knotted the score, 2-2, early in the fourth as Puja Nanjappa found the back of the net in the 47th minute.
Duke had a chance to win it in regulation, earning a penalty corner with 13 seconds remaining. The Blue Devils got off a great look on the set piece, but Jackson's ninth save of the night sent the game into overtime.
Stanford found the golden goal in the 62nd minute, as Bea Varley scored in transition to give the Cardinal a 3-2 win.

GAME NOTES:

Duke falls to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in ACC play, while also seeing its seven-game winning streak snapped.
McVeigh now ranks first on the team with 15 points after tallying her fifth goal of the season and the 50th of her career. She becomes just the ninth Blue Devil to score 50 career markers and moves into ninth all-time on the Duke career charts with 119 points.
Boehringer posted her second goal of the season and now owns six points on the year.
Duke drops to 2-3 in overtime games this season.

UP NEXT:
Duke caps the West Coast trip with an Oct. 11 matchup against No. 14 Cal. Action is set to get going at 3 p.m. ET, live on ACCNX.

#GoDuke