Duke Advances In NCAAs With 4-0 Win Over Fairfield

Friday, November 11

New Haven, Conn.

4 p.m.

Duke University

14-5-1

Fairfield

10-7-3

Team	1	2	Final F
Fairfield University	0	0	0
#11/10 Duke	1	3	4

Duke Advances In NCAAs With 4-0 Win Over Fairfield

11/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

NEW HAVEN, CONN.- The 10th-ranked Duke Women's Soccer team displayed one of its best offensive outputs of the season on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA College Cup as the Blue Devils blanked Fairfield, 4-0, at the Yale Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium to advance to the second round.

Duke will next face 22nd-ranked Yale (14-3-1) in the second round on its home field in New Haven, Conn. Yale defeated Central Connecticut State in the first round, 3-0.

“We're very excited to be advancing,” said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. “Congrats to Fairfield, they did a nice job of making it difficult for us. “We made some adjustments and it opened up the game for us.”

Duke came out fired up from the beginning and outshot the Stags, 13-0, in the first half. As the first stanza was coming to an end, junior Darby Kroyer sent a corner kick into the box and junior Rebekah Fergusson headed the ball past Fairfield keeper Brett Maron at the 42:23 mark to put the Blue Devils up, 1-0. The goal by the defender from Charlotte, N.C., was the first of her career.

In the second half, the Blue Devils took advantage of the momentum of scoring the late goal in the first half. Sarah McCabe added to the Blue Devil lead as the junior from Sarasota, Fla., took a cross from Kate Seibert and sent the pass into the net for her sixth goal of the year at the 62:31 mark. Less than four minutes later, Seibert sent another pass to junior Lauren Tippets who connected on her second goal of the season to put the Blue Devils ahead, 3-0.

“It's completely different going into the second up a goal instead of 0-0,” said Carolyn Ford, a Duke defender. “We spread out much better (in the second half) and got used to the surface.”

Freshman Christine McDonald finished off the match in the 76th minute with a 20-yard shot over the head of Maron, to put the Blue Devils ahead 4-0. The goal for McDonald, a native of Newnan, Ga., was her fifth of the season.

For the game, Duke outshot Fairfield, 21-0. Maron finished the contest with 10 saves, while Allison Lipsher and Alexis Morant blanked the Stags in goal for the Blue Devils. Seibert, a product of Downingtown, Pa., finished the match with two assists to give her 19 for her career, which is fifth all-time on the Duke charts.

“We knew we were going to have a big challenge going against an ACC team like Duke,” said Jim O'Brien, the Fairfield head coach. “We got stretched out defensively and it cost us a few goals.”

The Blue Devil defense collected their 11th shutout of the season and it marks the first time this season Duke has held an opponent without a shot. On the year, Duke has allowed only 11 goals in 20 matches.

Duke improves to 14-5-1, while Fairfield concludes the season at 10-7-3. The Blue Devils will be making their third straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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