CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 25^th-ranked Duke women’s soccer team traveled to Charlottesville, Va., for the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic Friday and dropped a 2-1 decision to Hofstra at Klockner Stadium. 

 

With the loss, the Blue Devils fell to 3-4 on the season, while Hofstra improved to 4-2. 

 

In the first half, Duke outshot the Pride, 7-6, but neither team could get anything in the back of the net for a 0-0 ledger. 

 

The Blue Devils had numerous chances in the first stanza but were called for offside three times and the Hofstra defense played well.  Duke’s best opportunity came in the 42^nd minute as sophomore Krysia Sikora created a Pride foul near their bench. 

 

Freshman Ashton Miller sent a kick into the box that fell to the feet of freshman Casey Martinez.  A product of Towson, Md., Martinez broke to her left and fired a left-footed shot that was blocked.  The ball came to the feet of junior Kara Wilson, but her shot went wide left. 

 

Rookie Imani Dorsey led Duke in the first 45 minutes with three shots, including two on goal, while four other Blue Devils attempted shots.  Redshirt junior Ali Kershner had two saves in the first stanza.

 

After impressing the Blue Devil coaching staff over the first six matches, freshman EJ Proctor came in at goalkeeper to start the second half.  Proctor, who hails from Wilson, N.C., had seen action in four matches on the season prior to Friday. 

 

Duke came out in the second and played much better outshooting Hofstra, 13-3. 

 

At the 56:23 mark, Blue Devil sophomore Rebecca Quinn blasted a right-footed shot that went off the left post and went out of bounds. 

 

Hofstra was able to get on the board first after Proctor went out of the net to try to grab a cross, but it came off the rookie and to the feet of Sam Scolarici.  She buried it into the left corner of a wide open net at the 61:07 mark.

 

Duke came back and nearly evened the score but a header attempt by Wilson went off the crossbar, after Quinn sent a perfect kick to the center back in the 66^th minute.

 

In the 79^th minute, Wilson fired another header attempt that looked to be heading into the goal, but a Pride defender headed it off the line.  Just 17 second later, a hand ball in the box by Hofstra led to a penalty kick attempt for sophomore Christina Gibbons.

 

A product of Raleigh, N.C., Gibbons stepped up and drained her kick for the second straight match.  It marked her second collegiate goal. 

 

Dorsey and Gibbons each added shots over the next minute, but Hofstra keeper Friederike Mehring stopped both.  After a foul on Duke, the Pride sent a kick into the box and a failed clear led to Jill Mulholland draining a shot into the left corner of the net to put Hofstra ahead, 2-1, at the 87:04 mark. 

 

Duke was unable to get any further shots off in the final minutes.  For the match, the Blue Devils outshot Hofstra 20-9.  Dorsey, who is from Elkridge, Md., attempted a career-high seven.  Wilson had taken five shots all season and finished with a season-high three. 

 

Proctor played the final 45 minutes and had zero saves, while allowing two goals for Duke. 

 

Duke will return home to Durham, N.C., and will host LSU (4-2-1) Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1:00 p.m., at Koskinen Stadium.  It will mark the final non-conference match of the regular season for the Blue Devils.

 

#GoDuke

 

Notes:

 

• Duke and Hofstra met for the first time in school history.
• After scoring goals in three straight games, Kelly Cobb was held without a shot Friday.