No. 8 Blue Devils Host NC State to Open ACC Play

Sunday, September 22

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

NC State

Duke women's soccer team huddles before LSU game

Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 8 Blue Devils Host NC State to Open ACC Play

9/20/2019 2:25:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Duke Notes DWS Season Stats NC State Notes

DURHAM, N.C. – After concluding their nonconference slate with a four-game winning streak, the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils (5-1-1) open their 2019 ACC slate at home against the NC State Wolfpack (5-2-0) Sunday, Sept. 22, in the friendly confines of Koskinen Stadium.

The conference opener is set for a 1 p.m. ET start, and will be broadcasted on ACC Network with the duo of Jenn Hildreth and Angela Hucles on the call. Sunday's matchup with NC State also marks Alumni Weekend for Duke women's soccer, as the program welcomes a number of former players back to Durham.

Last Time Out
It was an offensive affair at Koskinen Stadium a week ago as the Blue Devils used five second-half goals to propel to a 6-0 victory over James Madison Sunday evening to conlcude the team's nonconference slate.

Five different Blue Devils tallied goals as the Blue Devils cruised to an impressive win over the Dukes. The offensive effort was highlighted by sophomore Mackenzie Pluck, who finished with a game-high four points, including one goal and a career-high two assists.

Duke vs. NC State
Sunday's matchup between Duke and NC State marks the 36th all-time matchup between the two schools as they both begin conference play. The Blue Devils own the series advantage over the Wolfpack, 23-10-2, including a 10-5-1 record across home matchups. Duke held a 17-game winning streak over NC State from Oct. 24, 2001 to Oct. 5, 2017, which came to an end in the two school's most recent matchup on Sept. 27, 2018 in Raleigh, N.C., that eneded in a 1-1 tie in double overtime.

Blue Devils Picked to Finish Fourth in the ACC
The Blue Devils were picked to finish fourth for a second year in a row, receiving 155 points in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll. The trio of North Carolina (188 points), Florida State (185 points) and Virginia (163 points) took the top three spots ahead of Duke, while Clemson rounded out the top five with 121 points. Florida State received eight of the possible 14 first-place votes, with North Carolina collecting the other six.

Offense Catching Rhythm
After going scoreless in back-to-back matchups, the Blue Devil offense has caught its rhythm recently. Duke has scored at least three goals in each of its last four matchups, highlighted by back-to-back six-goal performances in the squad's two most recent matches against LSU and James Madison. The Blue Devils are averaging 4.5 goals per game across the last four games, and have outscored their opponents 18-2 over the span. Duke has scored at least six goals in back-to-back games for just the third time in program history and the first time since 2004, when the Blue Devils defeated Furman, 7-0, on Sept. 19, before downing Davidson, 8-0, Sept. 24.

Pluck Receives Weekly Honor x 2
Sophomore Mackenzie Pluck was named to the TopDrawerSoccer's Team of the Week this past Tuesday for the second week in a row, being selected as an honorable mention. The second-year Blue Devil scored a game-high four points in last week's match against James Madison, including one goal and a career-high two assists. Overall, Pluck has scored four times this season, ranks second on the team in points with 12, and serves as the team-leader in assists with four. She is currently second on the squad in shots with 22, while 10 of those have been on target. The North Wales, Pa., native ranks ninth in the league in points and is tied for third in assists.

Shutout Season
The Blue Devils have notched shutouts in their last three matchups, pushing their total to five on the season thus far. Duke has posted shutout performances in five of their first seven games for the first time since 2015, and third time in the last 10 seasons. Duke has yet to allow a game across the month of September, and the Blue Devils are outscoring their opponents 15-0 across the month. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Brooke Heinsohn has posted two solo shutout performances, while combining with freshman Ruthie Jones in the team's other three efforts. Heinsohn has recorded 17 saves this season, notching a save percentage of .810 and a record of 5-1-1.

Duke in the Polls
Duke checked in at No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week as one of five ACC teams in the top 10, and one of seven schools ranked in the top 25. Additionally, the Blue Devils are ranked eighth in the Soccer America Top 25, and 15th in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings.
For more information on Duke women's soccer, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeWSoc". You can also find all-access coverage of all Duke athletic programs on SnapChat by searching for "dukeathletics".

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