CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — With nine goals scored by nine different players, the second-ranked Duke women’s soccer team opened the 2016 campaign with a 9-1 victory over Wofford in the UNC Nike Classic, which was played at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C.

 

Duke’s nine goals tied a school record, while the nine goals by nine different players was a new record for the Blue Devils.  With the win, Duke improves to 1-0, while Wofford falls to 0-1.  The Blue Devils are now 9-1-1 over their last 11 season openers.

 

“I was very happy,”  said Duke head coach Robbie Church with the performance.  “Obviously, we scored nine goals, nine different players scored goals and a lot of players got minutes with it to.  You couldn’t have asked for a better start.  We know the competition is going to go up really, really quickly on Sunday.  For what we had to play, I thought we played really well.”

 

Blue Devil senior Toni Payne got things going quickly a she connected on a 12-yard low shot that bounced off the left post and into the net to give Duke a 1-0 lead at the 5:19 mark.  Making her first collegiate start, freshman Olivia Erlbeck was credited with the assist. 

 

Duke didn’t wait long to add to the score as sophomore Taylor Racioppi drove down the left side of the box, before going at the Wofford keeper, Alex Carroll.  Racioppi, who is from Ocean Township, N.J., blasted a shot that bounced off Carroll and junior Imani Dorsey finished off the rebound from point-blank range.

 

At the 10:37 mark, junior Ashton Miller and Racioppi found a streaking Kayla McCoy in the box where she finished off a four-yard shot to put the Blue Devils ahead, 3-0. 

 

The Blue Devils put the fourth goal on the board in the 20^th minute as Racioppi fired a shot from the left side of the box that went through the arms of Carroll to give Duke a 4-0 advantage. 

 

After coming in off the bench, freshman Ella Stevens made her presence felt very quickly with an impressive back heel flip over the keepers head to put Duke ahead, 5-0.  Racioppi added her third assist of the match on the goal. 

 

Stevens, who was the 2015-16 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, wowed many people in the stands with the goal in her debut. 

 

Off a free kick in the 44^th minute, junior Casey Martinez placed a perfect ball to the head of sophomore Mary Love Taylor, who placed it inside the near post for her first collegiate goal. 

 

The Blue Devils headed into halftime with a 6-0 lead with six different goal scorers. 

 

“I liked the ball movement, our spacing on the field, our angle plays, us trying to find our wide players,” commented Church on what he liked about the performance.  “I loved having nine different players scoring nine goals.  We shared the ball and a lot of people got minutes with it to.  Collectively, we were sharpe.”

 

Duke opened the second half with eight players that came off the bench in the first stanza.  The Blue Devils continued though where they left off as senior Krysia Sikora one-timed a failed clearance from Wofford into the left corner of the net to go ahead, 7-0. 

 

Adding to the scoring mix in the 61^st minute was Martinez, who finished off a six-yard shot off a cross from Sikora and Duke led 8-0. 

 

Duke would tie a school record with its ninth goal in the 69^th minute as sophomore Anna Munro and sophomore Kat McDonald provided good passing, before finding freshman Lexi Magliarditi.  A product of Newport Coast, Calif., Magliarditi finished into the upper left corner and Duke led 9-0. 

 

Wofford added a goal in the 85^th minute as the Blue Devils failed to clear a pass from the back and Hayley Younginer scored for the Terriers. 

 

The Blue Devils closed the match with a 19-4 shot advantage, while holding a 6-0 lead in corner kicks. 

 

Junior EJ Proctor started in goal for the Blue Devils and played 75:08 minutes without allowing a goal.  Freshman Mackenzie Coles came in and played the final 14:52 and allowed one tally. 

 

Duke will conclude action in the UNC Nike Classic Sunday, Sept. 21 versus UCF at 1 p.m.

 

#GoDuke

 

Notes:

• Rookie Olivia Erlbeck became the 33^rd player under head coach Robbie Church at Duke to start their first collegiate match.
• Duke has now scored nine goals in a match a total of five times (2010, 2008, 2004, 1991).
• Sophomore Taylor Racioppi totaled three assists and five points on the night. She had six assists all of last year.
• Four Blue Devils scored their first collegiate goal – Lexi Magliarditi, Mary Love Taylor, Ella Stevens and Krysia Sikora
• Senior Lizzy Raben excited the match in the first half with an injury and did not return.  She will be evaluated prior to Sunday’s match. 
• A total of 24 Blue Devils saw action on the night.