Four Blue Devils Score in 4-0 Win Versus Charlotte

Sunday, August 28

Durham, N.C.

6 P.M.

Duke University

4-0-0, 0-0-0

Charlotte

0-3-1, 0-0-0

Charlotte

Duke

Mackenzie Pluck, Michelle Cooper, Kat Rader, Delaney Graham

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Four Blue Devils Score in 4-0 Win Versus Charlotte

8/28/2022 9:39:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score BOX SCORE (PDF)CHURCH INTERVIEW PLUCK INTERVIEW

DURHAM – The fifth-ranked Duke women's soccer team returned home Sunday evening and collected three goals in a span of 8:08 of the first half to take a commanding lead and went on to win, 4-0, over Charlotte at Koskinen Stadium.

The Blue Devils received four goals from four different players – Katie Groff, Mackenzie Pluck, Michelle Cooper and Kat Rader – and moved to 4-0 on the season. Charlotte dropped to 0-3-1.


How It Happened
•   For the third time in four matches, Duke got on the board in the first seven minutes of the contest as junior Katie Groff connected on a free kick from 21 yards away to put the Blue Devils ahead, 1-0, at the 6:03 mark.
•   Graduate student Jenna Royson sent a perfect kick to the head of Mackenzie Pluck in the eighth minute. Pluck headed a shot that was saved by Emily Keck, but Pluck was there for the rebound and tapped in her 19th career goal and first this season.
•   Sophomore Michelle Cooper got into the scoring action at the 14:11 mark as Pluck placed an outstanding corner kick to a leaping Cooper in front of the goal.
•   Duke registered three goals in a span of 8:08, after collecting three goals in 11:15 at Tennessee on Aug. 25.
•   The Blue Devils held a 9-0 advantage in shots at the end of the first half.
•   Freshman Kat Rader added her second goal in as many matches after Groff found the forward streaking towards the right side of the box. Rader made a couple of moves and finished into the back of the net at the 62:11 mark.
•   In the second half, Duke outshot the 49ers 15-0 and went on to finish the contest with a 24-0 advantage.
•   Ruthie Jones and Caroline Duffy each saw action in the contest in goal for the Blue Devils.

Notes
•   With her 32 minutes played on the night, graduate student Delaney Graham moved into ninth place on Duke's all-time minutes played list with 7,147:02 minutes.
•   Mackenzie Pluck collected her 23rd career assist to move into a tie for fifth on Duke's all-time assist charts.
•   Junior Olivia Migli made her first start of the season and 29th of her career, while junior Nicky Chico also started for the first time in 2022 and collected her fourth career start.
•   Freshman Carina Lageyre, freshman Caroline Duffy, junior Julia Hannon and junior Grace Watkins made their season debuts.
•   Duke opened the season with a 4-0 ledger for the second straight season, but only the third time since the 2011 campaign.
•   Moved to 65-6-0 all-time against non-conference teams from the state of North Carolina, including 16 straight wins.
•   Closed the month of August with 10 straight wins in the month dating back to the 2019 season.
•   Improved to 50-7-7 at home at Koskinen Stadium since the start of the 2017 campaign.
•   With the four goals scored, Duke has scored in 17 straight matches, which is the fourth-longest streak in school history.
•   Michelle Cooper has played in 21 matches as a Blue Devil and notched a goal or assist in 17 of those contests.

Quotes
"We have done a really nice job on set plays. We are working hard and still getting better on the defensive side of it. We did a much better job of it this week. They are going to come into play in the next number of games that we have.   Offensively, we were really dangerous.   Services have been fantastic, and our players are going and finding the ball. It led to goals." – Duke head coach Robbie Church

"Katie Groff – what an absolutely great strike!"   – Duke head coach Robbie Church

Next Match
Duke will remain at home Thursday, Sept. 1 as the Blue Devils host No. 6 UCLA at 7:30 p.m., 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

Mackenzie Pluck with her first goal of the season for the Blue Devils ?? She also moves into a tie for fifth on Duke's all-time assist charts, picking up her 23rd career assist this evening for a goal from Michelle Cooper! pic.twitter.com/ahdPZkvvuZ
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) August 29, 2022