Kroyer Nets Game-Winner As Duke Defeats Yale

Friday, September 2

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7 p.m.

Duke University

0-1

Yale

2-0-1

Yale

#12/14 Duke

Duke To Face Boston College In ACC Championship On Wednesday

Kroyer Nets Game-Winner As Duke Defeats Yale

9/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.? In the second game of the Nike Carolina Classic on Friday, Duke's Darby Kroyer scored the game-winning goal late in the first half as the Blue Devils defeated Yale, 1-0, at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. Duke improved to 2-0-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs opened the 2005 campaign at 0-1.

"This was the best game of the season so far," said Duke Head Coach Robbie Church. "We had a lot more scoring chances tonight. We are going to score goals and all we are trying to do is win games. We won the game, which is the most important thing. Yale is a very good team and will be in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year. It was a really good win for us."

Duke opened the match with two shots by freshman Christie McDonald in the first four minutes of the contest and went on to dominate the entire 45 minutes of play. After taking seven shots in the first stanza, the Blue Devils finally connected on the lone goal of the half off an indirect kick.

After senior Shelly Marshall was fouled on the right side of the goal box by a Yale defender, senior Carmen Bognanno tapped the ball to Kroyer, a junior tri-captain, who chipped a shot just off the head of a Bulldog defender for her first goal of the season. Kroyer, a product of San Ramon, Calif., collected the 11th goal of her career. The game-winning goal for Kroyer was the third of her career and the first since her freshman season.

"Since the goalie was standing at the far post, there was a big gap in the upper right hand corner," said Kroyer. "I just figured I could chip it over the girls heads and luckily it hit off the head of a defender and went in."

Blue Devil junior Lauren Tippets had two quality scoring opportunities to close out the first half, but one went high and Yale goalkeeper Chloe Beizer saved the other.

For the first half, Duke held a 10-2 shot advantage.

"I thought our opportunities were a lot more dangerous than the past two games," said Kroyer. "We are getting there as we are producing one-on-one with goalkeepers a lot more and are in behind the defense a whole lot better."

In the second half, Yale goalkeeper Susan Starr made three key saves off Blue Devil shots to keep the score at 1-0, Duke. The Bulldogs had two opportunities in the second stanza as Kristen Anderson was wide open in front of the net but flicked the shot just high over the post at the 22:45 mark. With two minutes remaining, a Yale back sent a rocket down the middle of the field that went by all of Duke's defenders but Blue Devil goalkeeper Allison Lipsher came up to grab the ball before the Bulldogs could get a shot off.

Lipsher, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, registered her second shutout of the season and 10th of her career as she played all 90 minutes, while finishing with zero saves. In goal for the Bulldogs, Beizer finished with two saves in the first half and Starr had five saves in the second period.

Duke held a 17-4 shot advantage for the game.

In the first match of the day, top-ranked and host North Carolina defeated Davidson, 6-0. Duke will next play Davidson on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. to conclude the Nike Carolina Classic. The Tar Heels will face Yale on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the first match.

NOTES: Junior Rebekah Fergusson made her first start of the season and second of her career on defense for the Blue Devils ... Duke has scored only three goals over the first three contests ... the Blue Devils own a 52-17 shot advantage over the first three matches ... senior Kate Seibert keeps progressing well and could practice next week, after having surgery on her ankle on Aug. 25.

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