No. 8 Duke Downs No. 9 Virginia, 1-0, in ACC Opener

Friday, September 18

Durham, N.C.

6 p.m.

Duke University

(5-2, 1-0)

Virginia

(4-2, 0-1)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Virginia	0	0	0	0	0
Duke	1	0	0	0	1

Box Score (PDF)

No. 8 Duke FH celebrates following 1-0 win over No. 9 Virginia

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

No. 8 Duke Downs No. 9 Virginia, 1-0, in ACC Opener

9/18/2026 9:22:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 8 Duke field hockey team opened ACC action with a bang, downing No. 9 Virginia, 1-0, in the conference opener Friday evening at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.

The Blue Devils (5-2, 1-0 ACC) controlled possession on the offensive side of the field, earning four corners and outshooting the Cavaliers 7-3 for the game, including a 4-2 edge in shots on goal. Junior Julia Boehringer's first quarter goal proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.

Duke was just as impressive on the defensive end, holding UVA (4-2, 0-1 ACC) without a shot for nearly 30 minutes of game action and just two total attempts in the second half. Junior goalkeeper Kaiya Chepow earned her fifth win of the year, recording two saves on the night en route to posting her third clean sheet of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Duke dominated possession during the first quarter and held a 6-1 shot advantage and a 4-1 margin in corners. The Blue Devils struck in the 14th minute, breaking the seal on Boehringer's first tally of the season.
After earning their third set piece of the period, the junior delivered a strike from the right side to put the home team in front, 1-0, at the 13:30 mark. Senior Maggie Kondrath and junior Callie Rogers earned the assists on the play, with Kondrath serving as the inserter while Rogers provided the stick stop.
The second and third quarters saw the teams alternate possession, with most of the run of play during the 30 minutes occurring in the middle third. The lone shot across the two periods came from Virginia's Emma Watchilla but her attempt sailed wide.
The intense, back-and-forth play continued into the fourth, with Duke looking to maintain and extend the lead while Virginia searched for an equalizer. Neither team gave up an inch and the game remained a one-goal contest heading down the stretch.
With 6:43 remaining in the game, UVA goalie Nilou Lempers exited the contest in exchange for an extra attacker. Two minutes later the Cavaliers were at the doorstep, but the visitors were denied a chance at an equalizer as Caitlin Connell's shot was turned aside by Chepow.
Virginia's gamble would ultimately fail, however, as the Blue Devils controlled the final five minutes of game time. Duke pushed the pace on offense and got the ball into their offensive third, while the defense constricted the Cavaliers to help seal the victory.

GAME NOTES:

Duke wins its third consecutive game, improving to 5-2 overall, 1-0 in ACC play and 4-0 at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.
The Blue Devils earn their first win over a ranked opponent this season and move to 1-2 overall against NFHCA top-20 foes in 2026.
Duke snaps a three-game skid against Virginia and captures its 24th win in the all-time series (24-43).
The Blue Devils held Virginia without a shot attempt for nearly 30 minutes of game time – a stretch that lasted from the 5:56 mark of the first quarter until the 35:09 mark of the third period.
Head coach Pam Bustin picks up the 355th win of her career and her 193rd at Duke.
Boehringer netted her first goal of the season and now owns four points (1g, 2a) on the year. She is the Blue Devils' 11th different goal scorer in 2026.
Chepow improves to 5-2 in the cage and collects her third shutout of the season.
Duke held Virginia to its fewest number of shot attempts (3) this season, four less than the previous low of seven at Rutgers (Sept. 11). The Blue Devils earned their fourth shutout of 2026 and held the Cavaliers scoreless in a game for the first time this year.

UP NEXT:
Duke continues ACC play, traveling to No. 4 Wake Forest (Sept. 25) before hosting Boston College (Sept. 27). The Blue Devils and Demon Deacons commence action at 5 p.m., while the matchup against the Eagles is slated for a 1 p.m., opening hit. Both contests will stream live on ACCNX.

#GoDuke