Casey McCluskey's goal with under eight minutes to go in the game left the Blue Devils (6-7-1) just short, as time ran out in their 2-1 loss to non-conference host No. 12 Charlotte (13-0-1) Sunday.
Head coach Robbie Church hopes that the intrastate setback marks a turning point for the Blue Devils, who started out 2002 by winning six of their first eight games.
"We hope to use this as a springboard going into the last quarter of the season," head coach Robbie Church said of the team's first-ever loss to the 49ers. "We slipped back, while Charlotte played very well and hard."
Duke, who holds a
McCluskey's strike was her fourth in three games, and a team-leading eighth on the season. Church was impressed with the Springfield, Va., native's play, though he was disappointed with his team's inability to play at a high level.
"It was a very disappointing loss," Church said. "We really didn't do what we should have. We did not play hard or show the intensity we did all 90 minutes against N.C. State last week."
Charlotte's first goal came 7:18 into the game when midfielder Jennie Leeder, in her sixth goal of the season, scored off a no-look heel shot from an assist by Megan Terlip.
Both teams failed to find the goal again until 20 minutes were left in the game, when Charlotte freshman Courtney Crandell scored at the 72:16 mark off an assist by Shannon Roberto.
Her shot from outside the 18 sank into the far right corner of the goal. It was the Des Moines, Ia. native's 17th score of the season, which leaves her one goal shy of the school single-season goal record.
In the 49ers final home game of the season, senior gg
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