Fourth Quarter Goals Push Duke Past William & Mary

Sunday, September 26

Williamsburg, Va. / Busch Field

1 P.M.

Duke University

(4-5)

William & Mary

(0-6)

Duke

William & Mary

Logan Clouser dribbles down the field versus Wake Forest

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Fourth Quarter Goals Push Duke Past William & Mary

9/26/2021 3:36:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Duke senior Leah Crouse and freshman Logan Clouser both scored a goal and added an assist to lead the 18th-ranked Blue Devils to a 3-1 victory at William & Mary in Sunday afternoon field hockey action. The Blue Devils scored twice in 1:17 in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.

Crouse becomes the 41st Blue Devil to score at least 50 points in her career. She has 18 goals and 15 assists for 51 points to rank tied for 38th with Margaux Paolino. Duke improves to 4-5 on the year and remains unbeaten on the road.

Clouser notched her first career goal to give Duke the 1-0 lead and graduate student Lexi Davidson finished a stroke for what proved to the be the game winner.

William & Mary had more looks offensively in the opening quarter, firing four shots and earning a penalty corner, while the Blue Devils had just one shot on cage. Duke goalkeeper Piper Hampsch made a stop in the first three minutes as the Blue Devils settled in and gained possession. However, despite the possession through the middle third of the field, they weren't able to find their way into the Tribe's circle.

The second half was all Blue Devils. Unlike the first quarter, Duke got the ball into the circle as it spent much of the quarter in William & Mary's defensive third. The Blue Devils were able to earn two penalty corners and get five shots off in the period, including earning a penalty stroke in the 24th minute.

As Duke looked for the first goal, William & Mary goalkeeper Maddie George had other ideas and slid to the right side and kicked away the attempt to keep the game scoreless. Duke broke through five minutes later when Crouse pushed a pass to Clouser right in front of the cage. The rookie slid a shot under George for her first career goal and the 1-0 halftime lead for the Blue Devils.

William & Mary came out in the third stanza with high pressure on the Blue Devils and it paid off as the Tribe tied the game with 3:45 left in the period. Hampsch made a nice initial stop on a penalty corner, but Duke wasn't able to clear it out of danger and Lauren Curran spun and shot it past Hampsch to make it 1-1 heading into the final quarter.

Duke pressed in the fourth quarter and earned a corner in the first five minutes. George made back-to-back saves against the Blue Devils, but the Tribe were whistled for a penalty stroke in the 52nd minute. Davidson stepped up to the dot and set her shot high over the outstretched arm of George for the 2-1 lead.

Less than two minutes later, Clouser took a pass from MaryKate Neff on the right side of the circle and drew George out of the cage. The rookie forward's hit across the cage deflected off George and fell to Crouse who put it away to ice the victory for Duke.

Hampsch finished with four saves as Duke outshot the Tribe 11-8. George made six saves in her 60 minutes of action for the Tribe.

Duke continues its four-game road swing next week at No. 11 Virginia Oct. 1 and at No. 12 Liberty, Oct. 3. First hits are 5 p.m., and 1 p.m., respectively.

#GoDuke