The Duke women’s soccer players will attempt to do something Friday night that none of the them have done: beat Clemson.
The Blue Devils (11-3, 4-1 in the ACC) will host the Tigers (9-5, 3-3) and try to snap their five-game skid against the ACC foe tonight at 7 p.m. in Koskinen Stadium. In each of the last three seasons, the game has been decided by one goal, two of the losses coming in an overtime period.
“They’ve all been heartbreaking losses at the very end,” senior co-captain Casey McCluskey said. “We’re definitely motivated to beat them, every single one of us, because we’ve all had bad losses to them.”
The Tigers’ aggressive play and attack style have propelled them to wins over Texas and No. 6 Texas A&M. They were leading undefeated and top-ranked North Carolina 1-0 last Saturday before losing a close game 2-1.
Clemson, which plays with three forwards, poses a challenge that Duke has not faced recently, but the Blue Devil defense has been superb this season at home. In Durham, the team is 6-0 and the defense has yet to allow a goal, outscoring its opponents 28-0.
The backfield, anchored by freshman goalie Allison Lipsher, has shown steady improvement after the team got off to a slow 2-2 start.
“I think a lot more communication in the back,” Lipsher said of why the defense has played so well. “I know I’ve gotten to know them a lot more. Everyone has gotten more in sync.”
The two most prolific goal scorers in Duke women’s soccer history will both be on the field at Koskinen Stadium as the Blue Devils face off against ACC-newcomer Virginia Tech (7-5, 3-3) Sunday.
McCluskey, who has scored 13 of her 37 collegiate goals this year, will be playing in her final home regular season contest at Duke. On the opposing sideline Virginia Tech head coach Kelly Cagle, who amassed 47 goals and 117 points as a Blue Devil when she was known as Kelly Walbert, will lead the Hokies against the Blue Devils in the schools’ first matchup in their history. The Virginia Tech coach’s husband is a former assistant for the Duke men’s team.
“Kelly Walbert was one of the two or three top players ever to play at Duke so it’s obviously very special for her to come back to Duke,” Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church said. “Her husband Dan was an assistant on the men’s staff, so they have a lot of ties with Duke. We know that’s going to be a very big game for them.”
The Hokies have the ACC’s second leading goal scorer, Ashley Stinson, who trails McCluskey by three goals. She has struggled finding the net in conference play, however, and others have picked up the slack. Virginia Tech has knocked off N.C. State and Wake Forest and lost one-goal matches to Florida State and Clemson.
The Blue Devils are trying to keep intact one of their preseason goals of going undefeated at home and celebrate an emotional Senior Day honoring McCluskey, goalkeeper Kate Straka and midfielder Lauren Simel.
“It’s just amazing that it is senior night for those three players because we kind of came in together,” said Church, who became Duke’s head coach four seasons ago. “I can’t believe it’s four years, it goes by so fast. We think the program has gotten better over four years, we think it’s improved each and every year.”
McCluskey, who has had the best season of her career, has mixed emotions entering Sunday’s game.
“All of the senior nights are really memorable,” she said. “I can’t believe it’s mine. Every single year you look at the seniors and you just don’t think its ever going to be you and all of a sudden you’re one of those seniors. I can’t believe its my turn.”
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