In the second-to-last regular-season home game of head coach Robbie Church’s career, No. 1 Duke defeated Boston College with a final score of 7-0 Saturday evening in Koskinen Stadium.
Midway through the first half, the Blue Devils scored four goals in eight minutes.
“We've done a great job all year of finishing goals,” said Church. “I think it was another really, really good performance of being able to finish.”
Junior Julia Saunicheva scored her first career goal, breaking open the game after just 15 minutes. Her delivery came off of a cross from sophomore Mia Oliaro, who cut in from the right side to bend the ball into the box after receiving a pass from classmate Mia Minestrella.
Only five minutes later, Oliaro scored a goal of her own, assisted by Minestrella, after she cut in again from the right side to bend the ball into the left side of the net. Further success came from the Mias after another minute and a half: Oliaro assisted Minestrella for her seventh goal of the season from a ball passed by sophomore Phoebe Goldthwaite, fresh off the bench. Substitutions like this one cultivated much of the team’s energy and success in scoring opportunities.
“[The players off the bench] really made a difference,” said graduate student Maggie Graham. “They brought energy, they brought impact. And I think just knowing that we're so deep can help us so much in games.”
The fourth goal of the four-goal series in the first period also came from an Oliaro assist; the pass gave freshman Sophia Recupero her second goal of the season. The half ended with both a 4-0 lead for the Blue Devils (12-1-0, 7-0-0 in the ACC) as well as a “Robbie Church” chant echoing throughout the stadium.
After coming off of a hat trick last Thursday, Graham scored her ninth goal of the season against the Eagles (10-5-1, 2-4-1 in the ACC) eighteen minutes into the second half, beating her undergraduate record of eight goals for the Blue Devils in the past four years.
“It’s just everyone around me,” Graham said. “My teammates are playing so well, and they kind of set me up for success.”
The final two goals of the game came within ten minutes of each other, as Oliaro secured her second of the game and junior Carina Lageyre notched her first of the season.
“Once the first goal went in, it broke them a little bit, and it gave us confidence,” said Church.
The team’s great success was not only due to the numerous goals scored, but also to the lockdown defense that kept a zero on the opposing side of the scoreboard. Duke gained its eighth clean sheet of the season and reached a goal it had set for the match after being scored on in the last four games.
To celebrate Church’s career with the Blue Devils, fans stayed after the game to watch his former players thank him in a video compilation. Of his 38-year career, 23 of Church’s seasons have been with Duke.
“Robbie's been amazing,” Graham said. “We want to win this from him, so I think that's pushing us to be the greatest.
Duke continues to be ranked first in the nation after securing two big wins on the West Coast last weekend against sixth-ranked Stanford and No. 25 Cal, beating them out 4-1 and 2-1, respectively. This success has allowed them to remain the only undefeated ACC team in conference play.
Over the next two weeks, the Blue Devils will complete their regular season play, facing No. 12 Notre Dame at home next Thursday, then No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 4 North Carolina on the road.
“We're embracing the opportunities,” Church said. “We look forward to playing these teams that can make us better.”
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