No. 2 Duke Hosts UNCG in Home Opener Sunday

Sunday, August 21

Durham, N.C.

6 P.M.

Duke University

UNC Greensboro

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Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 2 Duke Hosts UNCG in Home Opener Sunday

8/20/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

DUKE NOTES

Live Stats l ACC Network Extra l Twitter l Match Notes l Media Guide

Game 2
UNC Greensboro (1-0) at #2 Duke (1-0)
Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 - 6 PM - ACC Network Extra
Durham, N.C. – Koskinen Stadium
ACCNX Talent: Dean Linke

NEED TO KNOW…
•   Duke welcomes UNC Greensboro to Koskinen Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 21 for the 2022 home opener at 6 p.m.
•   The UNCG match will be aired live on ACC Network Extra with Dean Linke calling the contest.
•   All kids in attendance Sunday wearing their youth team jersey will receive free admission to the game. Duke will be signing autographs following the match as well.
•   In home openers, the Blue Devils are undefeated over their last 23 matches with a 20-0-3 ledger. In all home openers, Duke owns a 31-3-3 record. Duke has outscored opponents 118-22 in home openers, including a 73-6 margin over the last 21 matches.
•   Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church is 18-0-3 in home openers since arriving at Duke.
•   The Blue Devils return eight starters and 18 letterwinners from last season's 16-4-1 squad that advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
•   Duke has been preseason ranked No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, which equals the highest preseason ranking in school history (2015 & 2011). Overall, the Blue Devils have been placed in the top-10 of the United Soccer Coaches preseason ledger in seven of the last eight years under the direction of head coach Robbie Church.
•   Sophie Jones, Ruthie Jones and Emmy Duerr were voted captains for the 2022 squad.
•   Duke features two sets of sisters in 2022 with Delaney and Maggie Graham along with Emily and Jenna Royson.
•   Mackenzie Pluck entered the season ranked tied for ninth on Duke's career assist chart with 21.

STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
•   Senior All-American Sophie Jones collected her fourth career goal and the first since the 2020-21 campaign with her game-winning tally at ECU in the opener. She launched a 28-yard shot that went into the back post in the sixth minute.
•   The Blue Devils are 63-6-0 (.913) all-time against non-conference opponents from the state of North Carolina. Duke has won 14 straight matches versus non-conference teams from North Carolina, while outscoring those opponents 51-1. The last loss was to UNC Greensboro in Chapel Hill on Aug. 28, 2009.
•   Dating back to the 2019 campaign, Duke has won seven straight matches in the month of August.
•   The Blue Devils boast a 48-7-7 record at home at Koskinen Stadium since the start of the 2017 campaign.
•   Over the last three home regular season contests, Duke hasn't allowed a goal (270 minutes).
•   Freshman Kat Rader attempted seven shots in the season opener at East Carolina and was one away from tying for third on Duke's freshman record charts.
•   All four Duke sisters started the season opener and played a combined 336 minutes at ECU -- Delaney Graham (90), Emily Royson (90), Maggie Graham (80) and Jenna Royson (76).
•   Ruthie Jones has started 42 straight matches in goal for the Blue Devils and has 20 shutouts, which ranks fifth all-time at Duke.
•   Sophie Jones owns a streak of 53 straight starts since arriving at Duke.

DUKE VS. UNC GREENSBORO
•   The Blue Devils' matchup with Spartans will be their 20th meeting all-time.
•   Duke holds a 14-5-0 series lead over UNCG and is 10-1-0 at Koskinen Stadium.
•   In its last meeting, Duke shutout UNCG to open the 2006 NCAA tournament, 1-0.
•   Duke is 24-5-0 all-time against Southern Conference opponents.
•   The Blue Devils are on a current four-game winning streak against Southern Conference opponents. Its longest winning streak was from October 1989 to October 1995, where Duke won 10 games in a row against Southern Conference opponents.
•   Head coach Robbie Church owns a 5-2 ledger against UNC Greensboro with wins in five out of the last six meetings.