Blue Devils Set To Host Duke/adidas Women's Soccer Classic This Weekend

Women's Soccer Notes

DURHAM, N.C. (September 23) -- Four of the nation's top-ranked women's soccer teams converge on Koskinen Stadium this weekend as Duke University hosts the annual Duke/adidas Women's Soccer Classic on Friday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 26. The current No. 1 and No. 2 teams, Santa Clara and North Carolina, are participating in this year's event in addition to seventh-ranked USC and host 19th-ranked Duke.

The Duke/adidas Women's Soccer Classic will take place at Koskinen Stadium on Whitford Drive, across from Wallace Wade Stadium. Admission is free to all matches. The 5:00 p.m. match on Friday pits No. 1 vs. No. 2, as the Broncos of Santa Clara take on the UNC Tar Heels. The Blue Devils then meet the USC Trojans in a 7:00 p.m. match. On Sunday, the action begins at 1:00 with UNC taking on USC, followed by a Duke-Santa Clara matchup at 3:00 p.m.

The Blue Devils (5-3, 0-2 ACC) got off to one of their best starts in program history, winning five of their first six matches of the season, all on the road. Included in those wins were victories over top-five teams Connecticut (2-0, Sept. 3) and Penn State (2-1, Sept. 10), which helped vault the Blue Devils into the top ten of the national rankings. Duke, coached by Bill Hempen, is still looking for its first home win of the season, after dropping home ACC contests to Virginia (3-4) and Maryland (3-4, overtime) last weekend. Senior captain Sherrill Kester (High Point, N.C.) leads the Blue Devils with a team-high six goals on the season. Junior Susan Kraeger (St. Louis, Mo.) is second in scoring with two goals and three assists for seven points. Goalkeeper Isis Dallis (Marlboro, Mass.) has recorded three shutouts this season and currently has a 1.69 goals against average.

Santa Clara, currently the No. 1 team in the country, is undefeated with a 7-0 record, 1-0 in the West Coast Conference. Under the direction of Jerry Smith, the Broncos advanced to the NCAA Final Four last season, falling to eventual national champion Florida in the semifinals. This year's squad features four Soccer America preseason All-Americas, including leading scorer Mandy Clemens (San Diego, Calif.) with seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Sophomore defender Danielle Slaton (San Jose, Calif.) currently leads the nation in assists per game (1.25). So far this season, the Broncos have shut out four opponents, and have outscored their opposition 24-3.

The USC Trojans, with a 5-1 record (0-0 Pac-10), have been a surprise in the early part of the season, quickly moving up into the nation's top ten after being unranked in many of the preseason polls. Under coach Jim Millinder, USC's five victories so far this year have included wins over Portland (1-0) and Connecticut (2-1, double overtime). The Trojans are led by a freshman, Ali Fennell (Santa Ana, Calif.), who has scored three goals and two assists for a team-high eight points. Goalkeepers Shaelyn Fernandes (San Jose, Calif.) and Lauren Arase (La Canada, Calif.) have split time in the goal, accounting for a team GAA of .833 and three shutouts.

The second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1, 2-0 ACC) are the defending ACC champions and 1998 national runners-up. UNC, under head coach Anson Dorrance, has won 15 national titles and ten consecutive ACC crowns. The lone loss on the team's 1999 record is a 3-2 decision against Penn State in the Nike Carolina Classic two weeks ago. UNC opened up ACC play last week with wins over Florida State (9-0) and Clemson (4-0). Like USC, the Tar Heels are also led by a freshman, Kim Patrick (Pleasanton, Calif.) who has a team-high eight goals and one assist for 17 points.

A special event will take place at the stadium on Sunday. Over the summer, Duke's soccer stadium received a new name as well as a new scoreboard and cosmetic enhancements in and around the facility, thanks to the generosity of Duke Board of Trustees emeritus and chairman of the Duke Athletics Advisory Board, John Koskinen. In between Sunday's matches, Duke University will recognize John Koskinen and his family in a special dedication ceremony of Koskinen Stadium.