CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Duke field hockey team opened its spring season with a 2-0 shutout on the road at Virginia Friday afternoon.
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With the victory, the Blue Devils picked up their first victory in Charlottesville since Nov. 15, 2015, to improve to 3-7 on the season and 1-0 to start ACC play in the spring. The Cavaliers move to 4-8 and 0-1.
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Duke was led by two freshmen,
Darcy Bourne and
Piper Hampsch, who both had career-high performances. Bourne tallied Duke's two goals while Hampsch racked up seven saves in the cage.
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"It felt awesome and it was so good to get back on the field with the team," Bourne said. "We've been working so hard and clearly that work paid off. It's just the start of a great season for us."
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Bourne notched the game winner in the 36th minute of action, using a reverse chip and sending the ball into the top shelf of the goal. Sophomore
Kelsey Reznick assisted on the goal, finding Bourne inside the circle, her first collegiate assist.
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In the 52nd minute, Bourne tacked on an insurance goal off a penalty corner inserted by sophomore
Hannah Miller and assisted by
Mary Harkins at the top of the circle.
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Hampsch recorded four saves in the first half, including three in the second quarter, while her one save in the fourth frame garnered her career high.
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"Starting the 2021 season was just a continuation of what we did in the fall and I think we ended on a high note," Hampsch said. "I felt super confident coming into the cage with more experience, so I think it was a great start to the season to get a win on the road against a team we've seen before."
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Virginia outshot Duke, 13-12, but the Blue Devils had the edge in penalty corners, 7-4. Graduate student
Eva Nunnink and junior
Noor van de Laar both registered two shots in the contest while Bourne led the team with five.
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The Blue Devils return to action and open a three-game homestand with a match against Wake Forest on Friday, March 19. The game is slated for a 5 p.m., start at Williams Filed at Jack Katz Stadium.
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