Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Alabama on September 7, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Women's Soccer
vs Alabama
Saturday, November 12
Durham, N.C.
7 p.m.
Duke University
13-4-3, 6-2-2
4
vs
0
Radford
12-4-4, 6-2-1
1
2
F
Radford
0
0
0
Duke
2
2
4
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Blue Devils Advance to NCAA Second Round with 4-0 Win Over Radford
11/12/2022 11:02:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM – Sophomore standout Michelle Cooper registered a brace and the defense was stellar on Saturday evening as the second-seeded Duke women's soccer team collected a 4-0 victory over Radford (12-4-4) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (13-4-3) advanced past the opening round for the 12th straight year under the direction of head coach Robbie Church.
How It Happened
• After a scoreless first 25 minutes, the Blue Devils got things going off the leg of freshman Kat Rader. Junior Emily Royson sent a pass down the left side of the pitch to sophomore Michelle Cooper, who crossed a ball to Rader. The Duke freshman used one touch and then blasted a right-footed attempt from 13 yards in the lower bottom right of the goal to put Duke ahead, 1-0.
• A little over seven minutes later Cooper got in the scoring column. A Radford defender tried to clear the ball out of the box, but Cooper collected it and rocketed a 24-yard shot into the right corner to give Duke a 2-0 advantage.
• At the end of the first half, Duke held a 9-0 advantage in shots.
• The Blue Devils went ahead, 3-0, at the 50:46 mark as freshman Elle Piper drove into the box, beat two Highlander defenders along the way and snuck a ball under the hands of Radford goalkeeper Jordan Phillips at the near post.
• Cooper netted a brace in the 65th minute as she headed in a corner kick off a pass from graduate student Mackenzie Pluck to give Duke a 4-0 lead.
• Duke finished with a season-high 26 shots, while allowing only two on the night.
Notes
• Elle Piper became the 10th Blue Devil to collect their first collegiate goal in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Blue Devils improved to 26-3-1 in NCAA Tournament matches played in Durham, N.C.
• Duke has now won 12 straight NCAA Tournament opening round matches played in Durham. Overall, the Blue Devils are now 20-3-5 in the opening rounds of the NCAAs.
• Delaney Graham collected her 100th career start on the night, which is continues her Duke school record.
• Michelle Cooper has either scored or assisted in 27 of her 37 career matches played at Duke.
• Kat Rader's 12 goals on the season tied the Duke freshman record, which was set a season ago by Cooper.
• Rader and Cooper had scored Duke's last 10 goals, before Piper's second half tally.
• Cooper now owns five multi-goal performances this season, which ranks tied for first on Duke's single-season charts along with Kim DeCesare.
• Mackenzie Pluck collected her 28th career assist on the night.
• With 41 points on the season, Cooper ranks second on Duke's single-season charts and is three behind Laura Weinberg (44).
• Rader's 27 points this season is tied for third on Duke's single-season freshman charts. She is four away from the freshman record of 31 held by Kelly Cobb.
• The Blue Devils moved to 5-0 all-time against Radford, including a 3-0 ledger in NCAA Tournament play. Duke is also now 15-0 against Big South opponents.
• Duke improved to 46-23-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Blue Devil defense posted their 10th shutout this season.
Quotes
"I thought we played well. It was a pretty good professional mindset coming out. I thought that we executed a game plan pretty well and had a little bit of a slow start. They did a couple of different things. They marked us man-to-man all over the field. It took us some adjustments, some changes in some runs, some ways that we played entry balls, and some angles that we played the entry balls from. Getting two big goals in the first half, the goal from Kat [Rader] to start off, and then Michelle [Cooper] following up behind that, just kind of broke their spirits. As the game went on, we just kept pushing them back and back. They didn't come into play a low block and I respect them for them coming out and playing us. I thought we moved the ball pretty well and had some good services in a box. So, a really good performance, and we're very happy to be one of the 32 teams left."
– Duke head coach Robbie Church
"I think it was really exciting and a great feeling. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the girls supporting me constantly beside me. And yeah, I didn't even know it when in until Michelle said "It went in El." I am really excited for what the rest of the tournament holds for this team. I feel like being good on both sides of the ball has been really important for me during the season. For all our backs, this whole season, focusing on keeping more possession, defending less, and when we do defend winning it back right away in transition. Always being locked in and ready to go or ready to jump and stuff constantly." – Duke freshman Elle Piper on scoring her first collegiate goal
Next Match
Second-seeded Duke will face Texas on Friday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m., in the NCAA Tournament second round. The match will be played at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C. Harvard and third-seeded South Carolina will also play in Durham beginning at 4 p.m., in the second round. Both matches will be aired live on ACC Network Extra.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
The Blue Devils (13-4-3) advanced past the opening round for the 12th straight year under the direction of head coach Robbie Church.
How It Happened
• After a scoreless first 25 minutes, the Blue Devils got things going off the leg of freshman Kat Rader. Junior Emily Royson sent a pass down the left side of the pitch to sophomore Michelle Cooper, who crossed a ball to Rader. The Duke freshman used one touch and then blasted a right-footed attempt from 13 yards in the lower bottom right of the goal to put Duke ahead, 1-0.
• A little over seven minutes later Cooper got in the scoring column. A Radford defender tried to clear the ball out of the box, but Cooper collected it and rocketed a 24-yard shot into the right corner to give Duke a 2-0 advantage.
• At the end of the first half, Duke held a 9-0 advantage in shots.
• The Blue Devils went ahead, 3-0, at the 50:46 mark as freshman Elle Piper drove into the box, beat two Highlander defenders along the way and snuck a ball under the hands of Radford goalkeeper Jordan Phillips at the near post.
• Cooper netted a brace in the 65th minute as she headed in a corner kick off a pass from graduate student Mackenzie Pluck to give Duke a 4-0 lead.
• Duke finished with a season-high 26 shots, while allowing only two on the night.
Notes
• Elle Piper became the 10th Blue Devil to collect their first collegiate goal in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Blue Devils improved to 26-3-1 in NCAA Tournament matches played in Durham, N.C.
• Duke has now won 12 straight NCAA Tournament opening round matches played in Durham. Overall, the Blue Devils are now 20-3-5 in the opening rounds of the NCAAs.
• Delaney Graham collected her 100th career start on the night, which is continues her Duke school record.
• Michelle Cooper has either scored or assisted in 27 of her 37 career matches played at Duke.
• Kat Rader's 12 goals on the season tied the Duke freshman record, which was set a season ago by Cooper.
• Rader and Cooper had scored Duke's last 10 goals, before Piper's second half tally.
• Cooper now owns five multi-goal performances this season, which ranks tied for first on Duke's single-season charts along with Kim DeCesare.
• Mackenzie Pluck collected her 28th career assist on the night.
• With 41 points on the season, Cooper ranks second on Duke's single-season charts and is three behind Laura Weinberg (44).
• Rader's 27 points this season is tied for third on Duke's single-season freshman charts. She is four away from the freshman record of 31 held by Kelly Cobb.
• The Blue Devils moved to 5-0 all-time against Radford, including a 3-0 ledger in NCAA Tournament play. Duke is also now 15-0 against Big South opponents.
• Duke improved to 46-23-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Blue Devil defense posted their 10th shutout this season.
Quotes
"I thought we played well. It was a pretty good professional mindset coming out. I thought that we executed a game plan pretty well and had a little bit of a slow start. They did a couple of different things. They marked us man-to-man all over the field. It took us some adjustments, some changes in some runs, some ways that we played entry balls, and some angles that we played the entry balls from. Getting two big goals in the first half, the goal from Kat [Rader] to start off, and then Michelle [Cooper] following up behind that, just kind of broke their spirits. As the game went on, we just kept pushing them back and back. They didn't come into play a low block and I respect them for them coming out and playing us. I thought we moved the ball pretty well and had some good services in a box. So, a really good performance, and we're very happy to be one of the 32 teams left."
– Duke head coach Robbie Church
"I think it was really exciting and a great feeling. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the girls supporting me constantly beside me. And yeah, I didn't even know it when in until Michelle said "It went in El." I am really excited for what the rest of the tournament holds for this team. I feel like being good on both sides of the ball has been really important for me during the season. For all our backs, this whole season, focusing on keeping more possession, defending less, and when we do defend winning it back right away in transition. Always being locked in and ready to go or ready to jump and stuff constantly." – Duke freshman Elle Piper on scoring her first collegiate goal
Next Match
Second-seeded Duke will face Texas on Friday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m., in the NCAA Tournament second round. The match will be played at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C. Harvard and third-seeded South Carolina will also play in Durham beginning at 4 p.m., in the second round. Both matches will be aired live on ACC Network Extra.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
Team Stats
RAD
Duke
Goals
0
4
Shots
2
26
Shots on Goal
1
13
Saves
9
1
Corners
1
7
Fouls
10
5
Scoring Plays
Kat Rader (12)
Assisted By: Michelle Cooper , Emily Royson
GOAL by Duke Rader, Kat Assist by Cooper, Michelle and Royson, Emily.
25:39
Michelle Cooper (15)
GOAL by Duke Cooper, Michelle.
32:56
Elle Piper (1)
Assisted By: Katie Groff
GOAL by Duke Piper, Elle Assist by Groff, Katie.
50:46
Michelle Cooper (15)
Assisted By: Mackenzie Pluck
GOAL by Duke Cooper, Michelle Assist by Pluck, Mackenzie.
64:12
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
8
SOG
4
Goals
2
Assists
1
def
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
4
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
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