DURHAM, N.C. – For the fourth time out of the last five years, the No. 1 seeded and third-ranked Duke women’s soccer team has advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as the Blue Devils downed Georgia, 3-1, on Friday evening at Koskinen Stadium in front of 3,000 fans in Durham, N.C.

The Blue Devils improved to 19-3-1 on the season and will next take on Ohio State (12-8-2) on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.  With the loss, Georgia concluded its season with a 13-7-2 overall record.  In the first match on Friday, Ohio State defeated 11th-ranked UW-Milwaukee, 2-0, to advance.  

Georgia started the match on the attack as the Bulldogs attempted the first two shots before Duke took its first attempt in the 17th minute off the leg of sophomore Kaitlyn Kerr.  The Blue Devils wouldn’t look back attempting three more shots before taking a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute on an own goal by Georgia.  

Kerr served the ball to redshirt senior Molly Lester on the right side.  Lester, who is out of Atlanta, Ga., crossed it into the box where redshirt sophomore Kim DeCesare was there but the ball hit off a Bulldog defender and went in the goal.

At the end of the first half, Duke held a 7-3 advantage in shots.  

The Blue Devils continued to attack the Georgia goal in the second half, including three shots by sophomore Laura Weinberg in the first 17 minutes of the stanza.  A product of Boca Raton, Fla., Weinberg finally got her goal in the 68th minute though.  

Sophomore Mollie Pathman made an excellent run down the left side and used her left foot to cross the ball into the box where Weinberg was waiting near the back post and headed in her eighth goal of the season.  A native of Durham, N.C., Pathman now owns a team-best 10 assists on the year.  Her 10 assists ranks tied for the sixth-most in a single season at Duke.

Less than eight minutes later, Kerr added her third tally of the 2011 NCAA Tournament as Lester and Cobb found Kerr at the top of the box and beat the Bulldog goalkeeper.  Kerr, who is out of Bensalem, Pa., totaled her ninth goal of the season.  She also has four goals in six career NCAA Tournament matches.

Georgia added a late tally by Nicole Locandro in the 81st minute to break the Duke shutout.

For the match, Duke outshot Georgia, 21-7.  Weinberg attempted a career-high seven shots for the game, while Kerr added four for the Blue Devils.  Five of Weinberg’s seven shots were on goal.

In goal for Duke, junior Tara Campbell notched five saves over 90 minutes.  Georgia goalkeeper Ashley Baker added nine saves for the Bulldogs.  

Duke improved to 12-0-1 overall on the season at home and 7-0 at Koskinen Stadium all-time in NCAA play.


Blue Devil Notes:

•  Kelly Cobb’s 28 points on the season is a new single-season Duke freshman record.  Her eight assists on the year ranks tied for the second-most by a Duke freshman in a season.  Cobb’s 28 points ranks tied for eighth all-time at Duke on the single-season charts.

•  Tara Campbell’s five saves on the night give her 243 career saves to move her into a tie for fourth all-time at Duke.

•  Duke’s 57 assists this year ranks tied for second-most in school history.

•  Duke’s 415 shots on the year ranks as the third-most in school history.

•  Blue Devils have scored 47 goals on the year, which is tied for the eighth-most in single-season history.

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Duke Head Coach Robbie Church

Thoughts on Ohio State and having to play them next
“Billy and Katie had to scout them so we will be up late tonight looking at their team and looking at the scouting report. We took [the team] in and we’re stretching inside now. We’ll get them ice baths, and get them food. It’s a short turn around and we’re not used to this short of a turn around. During ACC play we’ve gone Thursdays and Sundays, which has been good because we get a little bit better of a game with it too. We’re trying to do all we can to help their legs and get them back out here because [Ohio State] looks very athletic to me. They obviously made a great run with the Final Four last year. They are a well-coached team. I think they kind of got in late in the tournament but they are taking advantage of the tournament and really making a nice run.”

On keeping Georgia’s No. 10, 19, or 29, out of the game
“Number 29 is really an outstanding player. We just had to make sure we knew where she was all over. She tested all sides of the field. She went to the left, she went central, and she went to the right side. We just wanted to make sure that she cut it in. We knew she would shoot to the far post, and I thought that our backs played really, really well. It’s unfortunate to give up the last goal but we were trying to get some people off the field and rest their legs for Sunday. It was my fault, and that was just unfortunate to give that up, but I thought defensively we were really solid. Libby Jandl I thought was outstanding. I’m not sure if she has played a better game overall in her three years than she played here. Natasha Anasi also played very, very well, but Libby was just outstanding tonight.

On using more rotations and substitutions for Sunday’s upcoming game
“You typically do on Sunday anyway, but we’re playing for a spot in the Final Eight so those legs will feel a lot better than they did out there today. We have a spot to play for. I think we’re going to do all we can, and [the players] are going to do all they can to get rest by one o’clock, but they’ll be ready to play, there’s no question about it.”


Georgia Head Coach Steve Holeman

On his team’s performance:
“Duke is a phenomenal team. They are one of the best, if not the best, teams we have faced this year and a team that could go all the way – they’re that good. They’re the best crossing and finishing team that I have seen not just this year but in a long time. So I credit Duke. They are outstanding and they had a great game, but I’m proud of our team and what we accomplished. One game doesn’t define our season. I mean, we made it to the national tournament, we made it to the second round, and unfortunately we came up against an outstanding Duke team. I’m just proud of the girls, the way they fought to the end and even to get a goal back when we were down three.

On the senior class:
“All four of them are just incredible players and incredible people. They deserved an opportunity to get back into the national tournament. I’m just glad we could get to the second round. Unfortunately it had to end, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort that we lost this game. I’m proud of all four of them.

On the 2011 season:
“I think we are going to be able to look back on 2011 and say, ‘Hey, what a great season that Georgia had.’ We did well in the conference, we advanced to the national tournament. And one of our goals was to get into the national tournament. The future looks bright for this team, this program - so many great players. And this is a team that fought tooth and nail every time they stepped on the field, so I think we can look back at this [season] and say good things about it.”

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