Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at #7 North Carolina on September 17, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Women's Soccer
at #7 North Carolina
Thursday, September 17
Chapel Hill, NC
8 p.m.
Duke University
at
North Carolina
Photo by: Duke Athletics
No. 2 Duke Renews Rivalry with No. 7 UNC Thursday in Chapel Hill
9/16/2026 4:54:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Match 8
No. 2 Duke (6-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) at #7 North Carolina (7-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC)
Thursday, Sept. 17 – 8 PM (ET) – ACC Network
Chapel Hill, N.C. (Dorrance Field at PlayToDream Legacy Stadium)
ACCNX Talent: Jenn Hildreth (PBP), Kacey White (Color), Marion Crowder (Sideline)
NEED TO KNOW
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
HEY, I KNOW YOU!
AT THE TOP OF THE ACC
MINESTRELLA'S QUICK START
MOST GOALS THROUGH SEVEN GAMES
1. Mia Minestrella, 2026 9
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2008 8
3. Kelly Walbert, 1995 7
Emily Feeney, 1997 7
ODER NETS TWO GOALS AGAINST NO. 1 STANFORD
MINESTRELLA APPROACHING HISTORY
BLUE DEVILS NET HONORS AFTER STANFORD WIN
A FEW NOTES FROM THE STANFORD WIN
GAME WINNERS
FILLING THE STAT SHEET...
FIRST HALF GOALS
GOALS LAST THREE YEARS
A WIN WOULD...
HIGH-SCORING TANDEM
MOVING UP RECORD CHARTS
DUKE ALL-TIME GOALS SCORED
1. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 47
2. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 40
3. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 39
Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 39
5. Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 38
6. Sherrill Kester, 1996-99 35
7. KayAnne Gummersall, 2006-09 34
8. Kat Rader, 2022-25 32
9. Michelle Cooper, 2021-22 31
DUKE ALL-TIME POINTS
1. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 117
2. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 100
3. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 95
4. Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 94
5. Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 93
6. Andi Melde, 1994-97 88
7. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 87
8. Kat Rader, 2022-25 84
9. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 82
10. Imani Dorsey, 2014-17 80
DUKE ALL-TIME MULTI-GOAL GAMES
1. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 10
2. Michelle Cooper, 2021-22 9
3. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 8
4. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 7
Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 7
6. Kim DeCesare, 2009-13 6
7. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 5
Caitlin Connolly, 1989-92 5
Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 5
DUKE ALL-TIME ASSISTS
1. Andi Melde, 1994-97 42
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 35
3. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 34
4. Mollie Pathman, 2010-13 29
Mackenzie Pluck, 2018-22 29
6. Mia Oliaro, 2024-present 26
No. 2 Duke (6-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) at #7 North Carolina (7-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC)
Thursday, Sept. 17 – 8 PM (ET) – ACC Network
Chapel Hill, N.C. (Dorrance Field at PlayToDream Legacy Stadium)
ACCNX Talent: Jenn Hildreth (PBP), Kacey White (Color), Marion Crowder (Sideline)
NEED TO KNOW
- Coming off an impressive 5-0 victory over No. 1 Stanford over the weekend, the second-ranked Duke women's soccer team (6-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) will continue play this week with another top-10 opponent as the Blue Devils face seventh-ranked North Carolina (7-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC) Thursday at 8 p.m., inside Dorrance Field at PlayToDream Legacy Stadium.
- The match will air live on the ACC Network with Jenn Hildreth (PXP), Kacey White (Color) and Marion Crowder (Sideline) calling the action.
- Duke is ranked No. 1 in the latest TopDrawerSoccer poll and No. 2 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches top 25 polls.
- The Blue Devils have scored 11 goals over the last two matches.
- Seniors Cameron Roller and Mia Oliaro were named captains for 2026.
- Head coach Kieran Hall is in his second year as head coach of the Blue Devils, after leading Duke to the NCAA College Cup in 2025 with a 17-5-1 record.
- The No. 3 preseason ranking for Duke marks the fourth time in the last five seasons the Blue Devils have been a preseason top-five team and the 10th time in school history.
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
- Duke collected its third all-time victory against a No. 1 team in its 5-0 victory over Stanford. The five goals allowed by the Cardinal tied for the most in school history.
- The Blue Devils featured the ACC Offensive Player of the Week (Katie Shea Collins), ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Cameron Roller) and ACC Co-Goalkeeper of the Week (Molly Vapensky) this week. Collins was also named TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week.
- Mia Oliaro returned to the starting lineup against Stanford and had her first assist of the year. She has 12 assists in 24 games against ranked opponents the last three years.
- Both Katie Shea Collins and Mia Minestrella have scored goals in five games in a row.
- In 11 matches against ranked opponents in 2025, Mia Minestrella totaled eight goals and two assists. Over the last two years, she has notched 11 goals and seven assists against 24 ranked opponents.
- Cameron Roller has started 60 matches in a row as a Blue Devil.
- Duke featured four players on the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch list that was released Wednesday -- Sam Courtwright, Katie Shea Collins, Mia Minestrella and Cameron Roller.
- Duke features four players who have earned All-America honors during their collegiate careers -- Mia Minestrella (2025), Katie Shea Collins (2025), Cameron Roller (2024) and Sam Courtwright (2023).
- Last year, Kieran Hall became just the third Division I women's soccer coach in NCAA history to take a team to the NCAA College Cup in his first year as a head coach -- Damon Nahas of UNC in 2024 and Marguerie Bates of UCLA in 2022.
- Over the last two years, Duke has sent eight alumnae to the NWSL -- Hannah Bebar (Bay FC), Leah Freeman (San Diego Wave FC), Maggie Graham (Houston Dash), Ella Hase (Racing Louisville FC), Mary Long (Kansas City Current), Carina Lageyre (Angel City FC), Kat Rader (Houston Dash) and Devin Lynch (Denver Summit).
THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA
- Duke and North Carolina will meet for the 58th time in program history with the Tar Heels leading the series, 45-7-5.
- The Blue Devils own a 5-17-1 record in matches played in Chapel Hill.
- Duke won the last meeting, 3-2, in Durham on Oct. 12, 2025. The Blue Devils have won each of the last two regular-season meetings against the Tar Heels, including a 3-2 victory in Chapel Hill on Oct. 31, 2024.
- In the last three regular season meetings, Duke has won all three -- two in Durham and one in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils have won the last two contests played at UNC, in 2024 and 2021.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
- North Carolina enters Thursday with a 7-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 ACC mark.
- The Tar Heels have been led by Summer Denigan (7 goals, 4 assists) and Bella Devey (8 goals, 1 assist) on the season.
- So far in 2026, UNC owns a 4-1-0 home mark with the lone loss coming against current No. 1 ranked Michigan State.
HEY, I KNOW YOU!
- Duke senior Mia Oliaro attended North Carolina in 2023 as a freshman. She played in 20 matches. Oliaro is from Chapel Hill and went to Chapel Hill High School
- Duke assistant coach Carla Overbeck will face her alma mater as she is a 1990 graduate of North Carolina. She collected an 89-0-6 record at UNC and won four NCAA Championships under Anson Dorrance. Overbeck's daughter, Carson, is a senior on the UNC volleyball team.
- Phoebe Goldthwaite played with Abby Gundry at NC Courage Girls Development Academy for three years and also played with Aven Alvarez of UNC.
- Duke's Cameron Roller and Mia Oliaro traveled to Spain with the U.S. U-19 Youth National Team in the summer of 2024. UNC's Aven Alvarez also played on the team.
AT THE TOP OF THE ACC
- Duke currently features Mia Minestrella at the top of the ACC in points per game (2.86) and goals per game (1.29). Katie Shea Collins ranks third in points per game (2.29) and fifth in goals per game (0.86).
- Sam Courtwright ranks second in the league with a 0.86 assists per game average.
- Duke leads the ACC in goals per game (3.86), assists per game (4.71) and points per game (12.43).
- In the NCAA rankings, the Blue Devils are second in assists and points per game, while being ninth in total goals (27).
MINESTRELLA'S QUICK START
- Duke senior Mia Minestrella has scored nine goals over the first seven contests, which is the most in Duke history.
- The previous mark was eight in 2008 by Elisabeth Redmond.
MOST GOALS THROUGH SEVEN GAMES
1. Mia Minestrella, 2026 9
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2008 8
3. Kelly Walbert, 1995 7
Emily Feeney, 1997 7
ODER NETS TWO GOALS AGAINST NO. 1 STANFORD
- Duke sophomore Avery Oder became just the third Blue Devil in program history to register two goals against a No. 1 ranked team with her brace against No. 1 Stanford.
- She joined Rebecca Moros (Oct. 9, 2005) and Carolyn Riggs (Nov. 5, 2004). Both registered a brace against top-ranked North Carolina.
- Oder is the youngest Blue Devil to accomplish this as both Moros and Riggs did so as a junior, while Oder is a sophomore.
- Oder owns five goals, four assists and 14 points through seven games. As a freshman, Oder had six goals, four assists and 16 points in 23 games.
MINESTRELLA APPROACHING HISTORY
- Duke senior Mia Minestrella currently owns nine goals so far in 2026. With her next goal, Minestrella would become the first Duke student-athlete to total three straight seasons with 10+ goals.
- Three different Blue Devils notched back-to-back seasons with 10+ goals, but none have done it three times -- Kelly Walbert (1994 & 1995), Kayla McCoy (2017 & 2018) and Michelle Cooper (2021 & 2022).
BLUE DEVILS NET HONORS AFTER STANFORD WIN
- Following Duke's 5-0 victory over No. 1 Stanford, a trio of Blue Devils received ACC honors.
- Katie Shea Collins earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week, after totaling a goal, two assists and drawing a penalty kick. Collins was also named TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week.
- Cameron Roller was tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week as she notched an assist, played the entire 90 minutes and helped Duke to the shutout.
- Molly Vapensky earned ACC Co-Goalkeeper of the Week as she collected her first collegiate shutout and had a career-high five saves in 90 minutes.
A FEW NOTES FROM THE STANFORD WIN
- It marked the first five-goal defeat by Stanford since Nov. 11, 2000, when the Cardinal lost on the road at BYU.
- The 5-0 result also tied the largest margin of defeat in program history.
- Duke's five goals were the most the Blue Devils have scored against a No. 1 team in program history.
- The Blue Devils notched their third all-time win against a top-ranked opponent and collected four or more goals against a top-10 team for the fifth time in Duke history.
- Stanford entered Sunday's match allowing only two goals over the first seven contests.
GAME WINNERS
- Over the last three years, Duke's Katie Shea Collins owns 13 game-winning goals, which leads the nation.
- Among the active career leaders in the NCAA, Collins leads the charge with 13 game-winners, while Kayla Briggs of Michigan State, Larkin Thomason of Alabama and Summer Denigan of North Carolina have totaled 12.
FILLING THE STAT SHEET...
- Duke currently features Avery Oder, Mia Minestrella and Katie Shea Collins who have either scored or assisted in six of the Blue Devils' seven matches.
- Sam Courtwright has scored or assisted in five of the seven matches as well.
FIRST HALF GOALS
- Duke has outscored its opponents by an 18-0 ledger in the first half this season.
- In the second, the Blue Devils hold a 9-4 advantage.
- Duke has totaled seven goals this year in the first 10 minutes of the match and 10 goals in the first 15 minutes of matches.
GOALS LAST THREE YEARS
- According to the NCAA D-I stats over the last three years (2024, 2025, 2026), Mia Minestrella has scored the second-most goals nationally. Izzy Engle (41, Notre Dame) leads the nation, followed by Minestrella (39, Duke).
- So far in 2026, Minestrella ranks tied for third nationally with nine goals. She trails Kayla Keefer of Oklahoma (12) and Jade Bordeleau of NC State (10). Minestrella is tied with Claire Niedermeier of North Texas.
A WIN WOULD...
- Give Duke 497 all-time wins as a program, with three more needed to reach 500.
- Be the sixth win in Duke history against UNC in Chapel Hill.
- Mark the fourth Blue Devil win versus North Carolina over the last nine matchups.
- Give Duke back-to-back wins against top-10 opponents.
- Be Duke head coach Kieran Hall's second road win against a top-10 opponent (No. 8 Arkansas in 2025).
- Mark the fourth consecutive regular season win for Duke against UNC.
HIGH-SCORING TANDEM
- Duke features one of the top scoring tandems in collegiate soccer with Mia Minestrella and Katie Shea Collins.
- They have combined to score 68 goals over the last three years.
- So far this season, Minestrella has nine goals and Collins has scored six.
MOVING UP RECORD CHARTS
- Duke senior Mia Minestrella currently ranks tied for third on Duke's all-time goals scored list with 39 goals. She needs one more to move into a tie for second along with Casey McCluskey (40).
- Minestrella also needs one point to move into a tie for third on Duke's all-time points list.
- With her hat trick against Rhode Island, Minestrella owns seven multi-goal performances to rank tied for fourth along with Kelly Walbert.
- Mia Oliaro entered the 2026 season with 25 assists, which ranks No. 6 all-time on Duke's record books. She needs three more to move into a tie for fifth.
DUKE ALL-TIME GOALS SCORED
1. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 47
2. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 40
3. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 39
Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 39
5. Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 38
6. Sherrill Kester, 1996-99 35
7. KayAnne Gummersall, 2006-09 34
8. Kat Rader, 2022-25 32
9. Michelle Cooper, 2021-22 31
DUKE ALL-TIME POINTS
1. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 117
2. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 100
3. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 95
4. Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 94
5. Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 93
6. Andi Melde, 1994-97 88
7. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 87
8. Kat Rader, 2022-25 84
9. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 82
10. Imani Dorsey, 2014-17 80
DUKE ALL-TIME MULTI-GOAL GAMES
1. Casey McCluskey, 2001-04 10
2. Michelle Cooper, 2021-22 9
3. Laura Weinberg, 2010-13 8
4. Kelly Walbert, 1992-95 7
Mia Minestrella, 2023-present 7
6. Kim DeCesare, 2009-13 6
7. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 5
Caitlin Connolly, 1989-92 5
Kayla McCoy, 2015-18 5
DUKE ALL-TIME ASSISTS
1. Andi Melde, 1994-97 42
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 35
3. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 34
4. Mollie Pathman, 2010-13 29
Mackenzie Pluck, 2018-22 29
6. Mia Oliaro, 2024-present 26
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/ Women's SoccerTuesday, September 15
Sunday, September 13
Sunday, September 13
Wednesday, September 09
