GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Behind two second half goals, the 19^th-ranked Duke women’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 2-0 victory over Florida Gulf Coast Friday evening at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. 

 

The Blue Devils (12-5-4) advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the seventh time out of the last nine years and will face the winner of the second-seeded Florida versus William & Mary match.  The final 16 match will take place Sunday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.  FGCU concluded its season with a 14-6-2 mark.

 

After not much action over the first 15 minutes of play, both teams featured a flurry of shots over the next four minutes.  Freshman Kayla McCoy headed a cross from rookie Chelsea Burns in the 18^th minute that is saved.  The Eagles came back with a great chance of their own, but Blue Devil sophomore keeper EJ Proctor made a diving stop to her left. 

 

Duke then had its best chance for a goal as sophomore Casey Martinez, who was making her first start of the season, found herself with a one-v-one chance, but FGCU goalkeeper got her leg down and made the save at the 19:26 mark.

 

Blue Devil junior Toni Payne was then fouled just outside the box and Martinez fired a shot that was blocked in the 22^nd minute. 

 

FGCU added two late shots that went wide to hold a 5-3 shot advantage over the first 45 minutes.  McCoy had one shot, while Martinez added two for Duke.

 

After scoring goals in four out of the last five matches, sophomore Imani Dorsey missed the second round match due to an injury. The offense looked off in the first half with her not on the field.

 

The second half got really intense as the Eagles fouled the Blue Devils very hard a number of times. In the 54^th minute, freshman defender Chelsea Burns was taken down and had to come off the field, after being taken down with a foul.  Duke head coach Robbie Church called the team over during the stoppage of play and got the Blue Devils back focused. 

 

Duke started to get things going offensively at the 63:45 mark as Ashton Miller sent a great pass to a streaking Malinda Allen but her attempt was blocked. 

 

Less than a minute later, a foul was called on FGCU to give Duke a free kick from by the Blue Devil bench.  Martinez, who hails from Towson, Md., sent a perfect ball from 35 yards away over the Eagle defenders and Allen was able to get her left foot on the ball to redirect it into the back of the net to give Duke a 1-0 lead.  Allen, a native of Memphis, Tenn., posted her first goal of the season and second of her career.

 

A long pass downfield to McCoy led to her being taken down in the box and the Blue Devils were awarded a penalty kick.  Junior First Team All-ACC selection Christina Gibbons calmly stepped up and put her third goal of the season away to give Duke a 2-0 lead at the 72:11 mark.

 

Duke was able to hold on the rest of the way and post its 13^th shutout of the season.  Proctor, who is from Wilson, N.C., added her 10^th clean sheet of the season with two saves.

 

For the match, the Blue Devils and Eagles finished with eight shots each.  Martinez collected three shots to lead Duke, including two on goal. 

 

Notes:

• The eight shots by Duke tied for the eighth-lowest output on the season for the Blue Devils.
• EJ Proctor’s 10 shutouts on the year are the second-most by a Duke keeper in school history.
• The Blue Devils’ 13 shutouts ranks tied second on the all-time Blue Devil charts.

 

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