Women's soccer upsets No. 2 Clemson Tigers

Luckily for the Duke women's soccer team, an ongoing trend in their opponent's season-to-date did not continue Saturday night.

No. 2 Clemson (12-1, 3-1 in the ACC), which had won eight of its first 12 games by a one-goal margin, seemed like it could be on its way to a similar outcome as time winded down in its contest against the Blue Devils. However, this time Duke (10-2, 4-1) came away with the one-goal victory, as junior forward Sarah Pickens knocked home a shot just inside the right goalpost with less than five minutes remaining to give the Blue Devils their biggest upset of the year.

"We created our own chance there at the end," coach Bill Hempen said. "Usually in a game like that, that's all it will take. It's not going to be a bomb in the upper 90s or a wonderful overlapping run-it's going to be a nasty, bouncing-around kind of goal. But they all count, so I'm glad it went for us tonight."

Duke had to work arduously for all of its scoring opportunities throughout the evening and the last goal was no exception. After freshman forward Ali Kopfman was knocked down 30 yards away from the goal, midfielder Susan Kraeger lofted the ensuing penalty kick towards the right corner of the goal, which Pickens retrieved after a scuffle for the ball. Then, the junior from Greensboro, who leads Duke with seven goals on the season, juked a Tiger defender and kicked a grounder that just passed through the outstretched hands of Clemson keeper Katie Carson to give the Blue Devils their only goal of the game.