No. 7 Duke Outlasts Liberty, 8-7

Tuesday, March 29

Lynchburg, Va.

3 PM

Duke University

12-1

Liberty

6-5

Duke

Liberty

No. 7 Duke Outlasts Liberty, 8-7

3/29/2022 6:15:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The seventh-ranked Duke women's lacrosse team tallied its 12th win of the season with an 8-7 victory at Liberty Tuesday afternoon in Lynchburg, Va.

The Blue Devils picked up their sixth-straight win and improved to 12-1 overall. Duke's record is tied for the best start through 13 games since 2015 when head coach Kerstin Kimel's squad reached the NCAA semifinal game.

The Blue Devils were led by junior Olivia Carner with four points from two goals and two assists while sophomore Katie DeSimone added two goals. Senior goalkeeper Sophia LeRose tallied 11 saves for a .611 save percentage.

Liberty got on the board first at 11:15 before sophomore Katie Keller tallied her 16th goal of the season just 30 seconds later. Tied at one, Liberty tallied two more goals to end the opening 15 minutes with a 3-1 advantage.

Duke was held scoreless for 16 minutes before making it a one-goal game as DeSimone tallied her first score of the game on a man-up opportunity at 9:06 in the second. Carner dished her second dime to Caroline DeBellis with just under five to play before Liberty tallied the final goal of the half to hold a two-goal lead heading into intermission, 5-3.

The Flames outshot the Blue Devils 19-11 in the first half. LeRose registered six saves between the pipes in the opening 30.

Carner got Duke's offense going in the opening minute of the third with her third point of the day to cut into Liberty's lead (5-4). Duke added two more goals to Liberty's one to tie it up heading into the final 15. Abby Landry notched her first of the day at 8:29 before Carner's second on a man-up goal at 3:31.

Duke took its first lead of the contest at 8:56 as Anna Callahan connected on the team's second free-position attempt of the day. Holding a 7-6 advantage, Eva Greco found DeSimone for a dish inside the cage for a two-goal advantage at 8-6 with 7:30 remaining. Liberty answered to pull within one and continued to knock on the door, but LeRose was right there to close the door on two good looks at the cage. Following a Liberty timeout, Duke's defense held tough and disrupted the Flames' offense, forcing a turnover. Callahan picked it up, and Duke ran the clock out for its 12th win of the season.

Graduate student defender Katie Cosgrove tallied three caused turnovers and picked up two ground balls while Maddie Johnston added three ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Graduate student Catriona Barry was held scoreless for the first time since March 21, 2021 at Virginia. Duke's eight goals today is the fewest since April 14, 2019 when Duke scored seven.

The Flames were led by Olivia Glaze with three points.

Up next, Duke welcomes No. 16 Virginia to Koskinen Stadium Saturday for a 1 p.m., contest on ACCNX.

For more information on Duke women's lacrosse, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeWLAX.

#GoDuke