Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #1 Stanford on December 5, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
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Final
Women's Soccer
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Photo by: Duke Athletics
Blue Devils Hold Special Signing for Perry Coxe
9/28/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Riley Hicks, Duke Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM -- On the afternoon of September 9, the Duke women's soccer team signed more than just another star player to their roster. The Blue Devils signed Perry Coxe.
Perry Coxe is a 5-year-old girl from Apex, N.C., who was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor in her right kidney in September of 2021. Through the non-profit organization, Team IMPACT, Perry was introduced to the Duke women's soccer team in the Spring of 2022.
Team IMPACT matches children diagnosed with serious, chronic illnesses or disabilities with college varsity sports teams across the country. Since 2011, the organization has been implemented on 726 campuses and has matched 2,588 children with 64,700 student-athletes. Once the children are matched with a team, they remain in the program and become a part of the team. Team IMPACT serves as an opportunity for student-athletes to inspire growth and independence among children facing serious illnesses. Simultaneously, the program instills a sense of purpose and self-awareness within student-athlete participants beyond their sport.
With the help of Duke senior captain and Team IMPACT fellow, Emmy Duerr, Perry got matched to the team and was quickly welcomed with open arms. Perry's parents, Griffin and Brittany Coxe, described how incredibly special building this relationship has been for their family.
Brittany Coxe noted how the players "are true role models to Perry '' and for as shy as she may be, "Perry lights up whenever she sees them."
Since Perry's introduction to the team in the Spring, the Duke women's soccer players have come together to support the Coxe family's journey through chemotherapy.
To officially honor Perry's membership on the team, Duerr and the Blue Devil women's soccer team hosted a mock signing day ceremony. They printed out a "letter of intent" for her to sign and the whole team gathered around in celebration sharing stories about Perry.
"Hearing all the girls talk about Perry was really cool," said Griffin Coxe. "Especially when coach Carla [Overbeck] spoke, you can see how much Perry means to the team although it's been such a small scale."
After almost a year to the day of Perry's diagnosis, the date signified more than just a singing day. It was the culmination of Perry finishing her chemotherapy treatment and starting her first week of kindergarten. Plus, it was extra special that it happened in the month of September, which is Pediatric Awareness Month.
Duke is an extremely high-achieving environment. Student-athletes are driven both on and off the field, which yields limited time to stop and take a step back. Duerr noted that the intensity of being a student-athlete can catch up to you, but that Team IMPACT helps give her and the team a perspective adjustment. She shared that Perry's signing day fell on the day after her team lost to Duke rival North Carolina:
"The game was emotionally exhausting, but having the event helped with the team morale," said Duerr. She went on to describe how Perry and Team IMPACT helps her and the rest of the team realize that "there is more to life than just school and soccer."
The team's involvement with Team IMPACT speaks volumes to the player's genuine character and willingness to give back. Griffin Coxe expressed the selflessness of the relationship stating that "they are a top five team in the country, but they are so willing to set all of that aside and spend time with Perry." Both Griffin and Brittany Coxe spoke to the genuinely of the relationship noting that "it has never felt like a formality" and begged the question, "what better team to be tied to than Duke women's soccer?"
Signing day for Perry is just the beginning. The remainder of the season will be filled with activities and events promoting Perry and Team IMPACT, in addition to Perry's family's own non-profit, High Hopes. Brittany and Griffin Coxe founded High Hopes shortly after Perry's diagnosis with the goal of helping other families experiencing pediatric cancer payments for non-medical expenses. The name "High Hopes" comes from Perry's favorite song, "High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco, and has been their family's catch phrase getting them through the past year.
The relationship between Perry and the Duke women's soccer team will continue to grow throughout the season and year. This coming Friday, September 30, Duke women's soccer goes head-to-head with the University of Virginia, which will be the Duke Team IMPACT Awareness game. Duerr, along with the rest of the Team IMPACT fellows, will attend the contest with their matched kids and teams. The fellows are hoping to welcome the kids onto the field so they truly feel a part of the competition and game-day excitement.
Team IMPACT has brought more to the women's soccer team than they could've imagined.
"Team IMPACT has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience that I've been involved in in my entire college career and I look back on this as something I'm really proud of," said Duerr.
Perry Coxe, No. 38 on the field, and No. 1 in our hearts.
#GoDuke
DURHAM -- On the afternoon of September 9, the Duke women's soccer team signed more than just another star player to their roster. The Blue Devils signed Perry Coxe.
Perry Coxe is a 5-year-old girl from Apex, N.C., who was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor in her right kidney in September of 2021. Through the non-profit organization, Team IMPACT, Perry was introduced to the Duke women's soccer team in the Spring of 2022.
Team IMPACT matches children diagnosed with serious, chronic illnesses or disabilities with college varsity sports teams across the country. Since 2011, the organization has been implemented on 726 campuses and has matched 2,588 children with 64,700 student-athletes. Once the children are matched with a team, they remain in the program and become a part of the team. Team IMPACT serves as an opportunity for student-athletes to inspire growth and independence among children facing serious illnesses. Simultaneously, the program instills a sense of purpose and self-awareness within student-athlete participants beyond their sport.
With the help of Duke senior captain and Team IMPACT fellow, Emmy Duerr, Perry got matched to the team and was quickly welcomed with open arms. Perry's parents, Griffin and Brittany Coxe, described how incredibly special building this relationship has been for their family.
Brittany Coxe noted how the players "are true role models to Perry '' and for as shy as she may be, "Perry lights up whenever she sees them."
Since Perry's introduction to the team in the Spring, the Duke women's soccer players have come together to support the Coxe family's journey through chemotherapy.
To officially honor Perry's membership on the team, Duerr and the Blue Devil women's soccer team hosted a mock signing day ceremony. They printed out a "letter of intent" for her to sign and the whole team gathered around in celebration sharing stories about Perry.
"Hearing all the girls talk about Perry was really cool," said Griffin Coxe. "Especially when coach Carla [Overbeck] spoke, you can see how much Perry means to the team although it's been such a small scale."
After almost a year to the day of Perry's diagnosis, the date signified more than just a singing day. It was the culmination of Perry finishing her chemotherapy treatment and starting her first week of kindergarten. Plus, it was extra special that it happened in the month of September, which is Pediatric Awareness Month.
Duke is an extremely high-achieving environment. Student-athletes are driven both on and off the field, which yields limited time to stop and take a step back. Duerr noted that the intensity of being a student-athlete can catch up to you, but that Team IMPACT helps give her and the team a perspective adjustment. She shared that Perry's signing day fell on the day after her team lost to Duke rival North Carolina:
"The game was emotionally exhausting, but having the event helped with the team morale," said Duerr. She went on to describe how Perry and Team IMPACT helps her and the rest of the team realize that "there is more to life than just school and soccer."
The team's involvement with Team IMPACT speaks volumes to the player's genuine character and willingness to give back. Griffin Coxe expressed the selflessness of the relationship stating that "they are a top five team in the country, but they are so willing to set all of that aside and spend time with Perry." Both Griffin and Brittany Coxe spoke to the genuinely of the relationship noting that "it has never felt like a formality" and begged the question, "what better team to be tied to than Duke women's soccer?"
Signing day for Perry is just the beginning. The remainder of the season will be filled with activities and events promoting Perry and Team IMPACT, in addition to Perry's family's own non-profit, High Hopes. Brittany and Griffin Coxe founded High Hopes shortly after Perry's diagnosis with the goal of helping other families experiencing pediatric cancer payments for non-medical expenses. The name "High Hopes" comes from Perry's favorite song, "High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco, and has been their family's catch phrase getting them through the past year.
The relationship between Perry and the Duke women's soccer team will continue to grow throughout the season and year. This coming Friday, September 30, Duke women's soccer goes head-to-head with the University of Virginia, which will be the Duke Team IMPACT Awareness game. Duerr, along with the rest of the Team IMPACT fellows, will attend the contest with their matched kids and teams. The fellows are hoping to welcome the kids onto the field so they truly feel a part of the competition and game-day excitement.
Team IMPACT has brought more to the women's soccer team than they could've imagined.
"Team IMPACT has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience that I've been involved in in my entire college career and I look back on this as something I'm really proud of," said Duerr.
Perry Coxe, No. 38 on the field, and No. 1 in our hearts.
#GoDuke
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