Blue Devils Net 2-0 Win in Rebecca Quinn Return to Action

 

August 28, 2016

 

DURHAM, N.C. — As the second-ranked Duke women’s soccer team welcomed back senior Rebecca Quinn to the lineup Sunday evening, the Blue Devils registered their first shutout of the 2016 campaign as Duke downed Coastal Carolina, 2-0, at Koskinen Stadium.

 

The Blue Devils improved to 3-1-0 on the season, while the Chanticleers dropped to 2-1-1. 

 

Duke opened on the attack and stayed that way all evening attempting a season-high 39 shots. The Blue Devils attempted the first four shots of the match, but two went high, one saved and one was blocked.

Coastal Carolina nearly took the lead in the 13^th minute as Amber Adams launched a long shot that nearly drifted over the head of Blue Devil goalkeeper EJ Proctor, but the junior reached up and deflected the ball up into the crossbar, before grabbing it off the ground and keeping it from crossing the line. 

Off a free kick, the Blue Devils showcased some great passing that led to an excellent look by Imani Dorsey, but her shot sailed high over the crossbar in the 18^th minute. 

Duke finally got on the board at the 21:48 mark as sophomore Taylor Racioppi and senior Christina Gibbons set Dorsey up in front of the goal, before the junior from Elkridge, Md., buried her third goal of the season to give Duke a 1-0 lead. 

The Blue Devils added 12 more shots in the first half, but Duke couldn’t get anything past the Coastal Carolina defense. 

At the end of the first half, Duke held a 20-1 shot advantage. 

After peppering the Coastal Carolina goal with numerous shots in the second half, the Blue Devils were able to add another goal in the 72^nd minute as Quinn found a streaking Gibbons down the left side of the pitch.  Gibbons, who hails from Raleigh, N.C., drove towards the box and found junior Ashton Miller at the top of the box.  Miller, a product of Okemos, Mich., blasted a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net from 19 yards to give Duke a 2-0 lead. 

Miller had just returned to the match less than two minutes prior to scoring her seventh career goal. 

 

Duke ended the match with a season-high 39 shots to Coastal Carolina’s five.  Senior Toni Payne tied a career high with eight shots, while Dorsey added six attempts.  The clean sheet was Duke’s first of the season with Proctor seeing action in all 90 minutes. 

 

Coastal Carolina’s Becca Austin finished the night with 11 saves in the net. 

 

Quinn, a native of Toronto, Canada, is coming off helping lead the Canada Women’s National Team to its second straight bronze medal in Rio.  She came off the bench and saw action in 64 minutes, while tying a career high with four shots. 

 

The Blue Devils will next host the Duke Nike Classic Sept. 2 & 4 with North Carolina, Minnesota and Villanova competing along with the Blue Devils.  Villanova and 17^th-ranked Minnesota will kick off play at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2 and then Duke will host ninth-ranked North Carolina at 7:30 p.m.  The two teams are playing in a non-conference match in 2016 as they are not seeing action in league action this season. 

 

Sunday’s action will have North Carolina vs. Villanova at 12 p.m., followed by Minnesota at Duke at 2:30 p.m.

 

#GoDuke

 

Notes:

• For the first time this season, Duke started three freshmen in the lineup – Mia Gyau, Olivia Erlbeck and Ella Stevens
• Taylor Racioppi now leads Duke with four assists on the season
• Duke attempted a season-high 12 corner kicks
• The Blue Devils opened a seven-game home stand Sunday evening