Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Alabama on September 7, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Women's Soccer
vs Alabama
Sunday, August 29
Nashville, Tenn.
3 P.M.
Duke University
4-0-0, 0-0-0
2
at
0
Vanderbilt
1-2-1, 0-0-0
1
2
F
Duke
0
2
2
Vanderbilt
0
0
0
Two-Goal Second Half Leads No. 5 Duke Past Vanderbilt
8/29/2021 6:55:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Graduate student Tess Boade converted a penalty kick in the 53rd minute and senior Mackenzie Pluck netted her third of the year shortly after as No. 5 Duke earned a 2-0 road victory at Vanderbilt on Sunday.
After each team traded chances through the first 50-plus minutes of action, freshman Michelle Cooper was taken down inside the 18-yard box as the Blue Devils were building in the attacking third. On the ensuing penalty attempt, Boade fired her shot past goalkeeper Kate Devine to put the Duke (4-0-0) on the board.
10 minutes later, Cooper intercepted a pass from a Commodore defender and found herself one-on-one with Devine. The freshman tried to send it to the bottom right corner, but was denied her fifth goal of the season as Devine came up with the crucial stop. The play would spark a Blue Devil possession in the attacking third, however, and moments later Cooper played a through ball up to Pluck, who sprinted behind the Vanderbilt back line. With Devine charging out, Pluck calmly chipped the ball with her right foot, seeing it drop perfectly into the back of the net to double the Duke lead.
The Blue Devils controlled the pace the rest of the way, finishing the afternoon with 13 shots to Vanderbilt's four attempts. Junior Ruthie Jones recorded three saves for Duke, with two coming in the second half, to secure her first clean sheet of the season and improve to 7-0-2 over her last nine starts.
The first half featured back-and-forth action with both teams finding scoring opportunities. Vanderbilt (1-2-1) had an opening in the 13th minute as Reagan Kelly was played a ball up the right side and worked her way behind sophomore Emily Royson. Royson was able to recover and force a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, and Jones got her left hand on the attempt to end the threat.
Devine finished with five saves for the Commodores.
Duke is back in action on Thursday, Sept. 2, when it hosts No. 13 Stanford at Koskinen Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
NOTES
#GoDuke
After each team traded chances through the first 50-plus minutes of action, freshman Michelle Cooper was taken down inside the 18-yard box as the Blue Devils were building in the attacking third. On the ensuing penalty attempt, Boade fired her shot past goalkeeper Kate Devine to put the Duke (4-0-0) on the board.
10 minutes later, Cooper intercepted a pass from a Commodore defender and found herself one-on-one with Devine. The freshman tried to send it to the bottom right corner, but was denied her fifth goal of the season as Devine came up with the crucial stop. The play would spark a Blue Devil possession in the attacking third, however, and moments later Cooper played a through ball up to Pluck, who sprinted behind the Vanderbilt back line. With Devine charging out, Pluck calmly chipped the ball with her right foot, seeing it drop perfectly into the back of the net to double the Duke lead.
The Blue Devils controlled the pace the rest of the way, finishing the afternoon with 13 shots to Vanderbilt's four attempts. Junior Ruthie Jones recorded three saves for Duke, with two coming in the second half, to secure her first clean sheet of the season and improve to 7-0-2 over her last nine starts.
The first half featured back-and-forth action with both teams finding scoring opportunities. Vanderbilt (1-2-1) had an opening in the 13th minute as Reagan Kelly was played a ball up the right side and worked her way behind sophomore Emily Royson. Royson was able to recover and force a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, and Jones got her left hand on the attempt to end the threat.
Devine finished with five saves for the Commodores.
Duke is back in action on Thursday, Sept. 2, when it hosts No. 13 Stanford at Koskinen Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
NOTES
- The 2021 season marks the 21st at Duke for head coach Robbie Church, where he is now 260-131-59.
- Duke's 4-0-0 record marks the sixth time in program history and the first occasion since 2011 that the Blue Devils opened a season with four consecutive wins.
- Duke has outscored its opponents 10-1 in the second half this season.
- Cooper's assist was the first of her collegiate career. She has collected at least one point in all four games this season, totaling four goals and one helper.
- Boade now has two penalty kick goals this season after not attempting one PK in regulation over her first four seasons at Duke.
#GoDuke
Team Stats
Duke
Vandy
Goals
2
0
Shots
13
4
Shots on Goal
7
3
Saves
3
5
Corners
3
4
Fouls
6
12
Scoring Plays
Tess Boade (1)
Duke Tess Boade PENALTY KICK GOAL.
52:47
Mackenzie Pluck (3)
Assisted By: Michelle Cooper
GOAL by Duke Pluck, Mackenzie Assist by Cooper, Michelle.
63:34
Game Leaders
Players
mid
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerKat Rader Postgame Vs. VMI
Thursday, September 04
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. VMI
Thursday, September 04
Avery Oder Postgame Vs. Creighton
Sunday, August 31
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. Creighton
Sunday, August 31
