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Women's Soccer Season Recap
1/26/2023 9:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM -- The Duke women's soccer team once again had another outstanding season in 2022 under the direction of head coach Robbie Church.
GoDuke.com takes a look back at a record-breaking season that cumulated in Michelle Cooper winning the Hermann Trophy for the first time in program history.
SCHOOL-RECORD SEASON
Sophomore Michelle Cooper continued to rewrite the Duke record book as she completed her second season with the Blue Devils. In 2022, she tallied a school-record 49 points, breaking Laura Weinberg's mark of 44 from 2012. Cooper's 49 points were the most in the ACC since the 2014 campaign (Makenzy Doniak of Virginia with 51). Cooper's seven matches with multiple goals also broke Kim DeCesare's record of five from 2012.
With her 19 goals on the season, Cooper broke Kelly Walbert's record of 18 from 1994. As a team, Duke collected 57 assists to rank tied for fourth on the Blue Devil single-season charts.
MAC HERMANN TROPHY WINNER
Duke's Michelle Cooper capped off an impressive sophomore campaign in St. Louis as she was presented with the 2022 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy at the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) annual banquet. It marked the first time a Duke women's soccer standout has won the Hermann Trophy. Joining Cooper in St. Louis was Blue Devil men's soccer junior midfielder Peter Stroud, who was a finalist as well.
Duke was the first school to have a finalist from both the men's and women's team since Stanford did so in 2017. She was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 in all three categories. In the NCAA stats, Cooper ranked No. 2 in points (49), tied for second in goals (19) and tied for ninth in assists (11). She was one of only two players in the country to collect 10 or more goals and assists this season. Cooper scored or assisted on an impressive 10 game-winning goals on the season for the Blue Devils. She came up big in the NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils as she scored six goals, which tied for an NCAA best, while her 13 points were the second-most in the tournament.
Cooper notched eight school records on the season – goals (19), points (49), multi-goal games (7), NCAA Tournament goals (6), NCAA Tournament points (13), most goals (31) and points (78) through a sophomore season. She scored 12 goals and added six assists against nationally-ranked opponents.
TRIO OF BLUE DEVILS SELECTED IN NWSL DRAFT
Highlighted by Michelle Cooper going No. 2, a trio of Blue Devils were selected in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft in January. Selected by the Kansas City Current with the second overall pick, Cooper became the highest Duke women's soccer player taken in a professional draft. Then in the fourth round, Delaney Graham was picked by the Washington Spirit followed by Sophie Jones by the Chicago Red Stars.
It marked the third time Duke has featured three or more student-athletes selected in the NWSL Draft (2022, 2018, 2014). Cooper was the fifth Duke standout taken in the first round in school history, all which have come in the last seven years. The Blue Devils have now featured 20 Duke women's soccer student-athletes drafted in the NWSL, including 17 under Church.
DUKE FINISHES SEASON RANKED NO. 6
The United Soccer Coaches released its end-of-season national rankings for the 2022 campaign, with Duke coming in at No. 6 in the final ledger. The Blue Devils earned a spot in the top-10 of the United Soccer Coaches final rankings for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (since 2015), the most top-10 finishes by any program nationally in that span. National Champion UCLA earned the top slot, while North Carolina, Florida State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina and TCU rounded out the top-10 teams.
COOPER TURNS PROFESSIONAL
Duke sophomore forward Michelle Cooper announced that she will forego her remaining years of eligibility and pursue a professional soccer career. "After much thought and consideration, I have decided to pursue my soccer career professionally," said Cooper. "This was such a difficult decision, but one that was made with my heart and the people I love and trust dearly. I would like to thank my family for providing me with endless support in everything I do and my teammates who I can forever call my best friends. I would also like to thank my coaches here at Duke for giving me the opportunity to play for this amazing program and represent this phenomenal school. The experiences from these past two years will be ones that I will forever cherish."
Since stepping foot on the pitch in Durham as a freshman, Cooper was one of the best players in the nation and rewrote the Duke record books through two seasons with the Blue Devils. In two years, Cooper collected 31 goals, 16 assists and 78 points as she helped lead Duke to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearances and 31 victories. She scored or assisted in 29-of-40 career matches as a Blue Devil. Her 78 points are tied for 10th on the Blue Devil career charts. A native of Clarkston, Mich., Cooper collected eight game-winning goals and nine multi-goal games over two seasons. She also played some of her best soccer in the NCAA Tournament notching eight goals and 18 points in eight matches.
SIX BLUE DEVILS IN TOPDRAWERSOCCER TOP 100
With the completion of the 2022 campaign, TopDrawerSoccer released its top-100 rankings with six different Blue Devils listed – Michelle Cooper (2), Sophie Jones (4), Ruthie Jones (54) and Delaney Graham (86). TopDrawerSoccer also finalized its list of the top-100 freshmen in the nation with Kat Rader (2) and Devin Lynch (83) among the student-athletes recognized. Duke was the only school with two players in the top-10 of the national rankings.
DUKE TRIO HONORED BY TOPDRAWERSOCCER
TopDrawerSoccer released its end-of-season awards with a trio of Blue Devils earning Best XI Teams – Michelle Cooper, Sophie Jones and Kat Rader. Both Cooper and Jones were tabbed to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team, while Rader received Freshman Best XI First Team honors.
GRAHAM NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
For the third straight year, Duke graduate student Delaney Graham was tabbed Academic All-America following a vote of College Sports Communicators. Graham became just the fourth Duke student-athlete to earn the award on three different occasions – Max Quinzani (Men's Lacrosse in 2008, '09, '10), Amanda Blumenherst (Women's Golf in 2007, '08, '09) and Mike Diminick (Football in 1986, '87, '88).
Graham graduated in May of 2022 from Duke with Distinction and Cum Laude with a degree in biology along with a minor in chemistry. She enrolled in the continuing studies program in the fall as she played her fifth year with the Blue Devils. Graham features an impressive 3.92 grade-point average.
A four-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, Graham started all 23 matches on the 2022 season and turned in seven assists, which were the third-most on the team. She helped Duke collect 11 shutouts on the defensive end as well.
Graham was a rock on the defensive end for Duke over the last four years helping the Blue Devils to 52 shutouts. Her 103 matches started is a new career record, while also playing in 105 contests, notching four goals and 19 assists for 27 points. Graham also played in a school-record 8,767 minutes.
She is one of eight Duke women's soccer players in Duke history to earn Academic All-America from College Sports Communicators (formally CoSIDA) – Kayla McCoy (2018), Imani Dorsey (2017, 2016), Christina Gibbons (2016), Laura Weinberg (2012), Mollie Pathman (2012), Maddy Haller (2011) and Rachel-Rose Cohen (2005, 2006).
COOPER NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA
For the second straight year, Duke's Michelle Cooper was recognized as a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American as the organization released its first, second and third team accolades. She became the first Blue Devil to earn First-Team All-America honors in each of her first two seasons at Duke.
FOUR BLUE DEVILS TABBED ALL-REGION
The United Soccer Coaches released the All-Region selections for the 2022 campaign with four members of the Duke women's soccer team earning accolades. Sophomore Michelle Cooper earned first-team honors, while both Delaney Graham and Sophie Jones were named to the second team and freshman Kat Rader earned third-team recognition.
TEAM WINS & TOUGH SCHEDULE
Duke registered 15 wins on the season, which ranked tied for seventh-most in school history. The Blue Devils registered 15 wins under head coach Robbie Church for the ninth time.
In the NCAA RPI, Duke was No. 5 with its five losses coming to FSU (2), UCLA (1), UNC (3), Alabama (4) and Virginia (8). The Blue Devils' schedule was ranked the toughest nationally by the NCAA. Duke faced nine top-10 teams on the season.
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Blue Devils competed in their 28th all-time NCAA Championship and hold a 48-24-11 overall record in 83 tournament matches. The Blue Devils are 41-17-10 under Robbie Church in the NCAA Championship. He has led Duke to the big dance in 20 of his 22 seasons in Durham. Duke has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship nine times over the last 12 seasons (since 2011).
NCAA QUARTERFINAL APPEARANCES SINCE 2011
Rk Team Appearances (last)
1. Florida State 10 (2022)
2. Duke 9 (2022)
3. Stanford 7 (2019)
UCLA 7 (2022)
5. North Carolina 6 (2022)
Virginia 6 (2022)
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORDS
The Blue Devils advanced to three straight NCAA Elite Eights, the second round in 2019 and round of 16 in 2018. Ruthie Jones appeared in 12 matches in the NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils in goal and helped Duke to seven shutouts over the last four years. She has allowed only eight goals in 12 matches and notched four shutouts. Duke featured 10 different players that have scored at least one in the NCAA Tournament - Michelle Cooper (8), Olivia Migli (3), Emmy Duerr (2), Mackenzie Pluck (2), Delaney Graham (2), Elle Piper (1), Kat Rader (1), Sophie Jones (1), Katie Groff (1) and Grace Watkins (1).
IN THE 2022 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Michelle Cooper collected 13 points in the 2022 NCAA Tournament to rank second among the field. Her 21 shots ranked tied for fifth. Cooper's six goals ranked tied for first along with Jessica De Filippo of Arkansas. Kat Rader's two assists ranked tied for 10th. Ruthie Jones collected 13 saves to rank tied for ninth.
DUKE'S NCAA CAREER RECORDS
In just two seasons, Michelle Cooper tallied eight goals scored in the NCAA Tournament, which ranked tied for second on Duke's all-time charts -- Kaitlyn Kerr (9), Kim DeCesare (8), Kayla McCoy (7) and Toni Payne (6). Cooper's 18 points in the NCAA Tournament, which also ranked tied for second behind Kaitly Kerr (20) and tied with Kayla McCoy (18).
Delaney Graham's 1,447 career minutes in the NCAA Tournament were a new Duke school record. Ruthie Jones' five shutouts ranked tied for second along with Allison Lipsher, while EJ Proctor owns the record with nine. Cooper notched a school-record four braces in the NCAA Tournament. Graham finished her career with five assists, while Mackenzie Pluck notched four assists over the last five years.
DUKE NCAA SEASON RECORD
Michelle Cooper's six goals and 13 points in the 2022 NCAA Tournament ranked first on Duke's record charts. She also notched a school-record three multi-goal games.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Duke collected a 7-5-2 record against ranked opponents this season. Michelle Cooper scored 12 goals in 14 games against ranked foes, while adding six assists. Kat Rader notched five goals and five assists for 15 points against ranked teams.
10/10 MILESTONE
At Virginia, Michelle Cooper notched her 10th assist of the season to become the third Blue Devil to notch 10 or more goals and assists in a season -- Imani Dorsey (2017), Laura Weinberg (2012). Cooper notched 19 goals and 11 assists. Cooper was one of only two players in the NCAA Division I to have 10 or more goals and assists in 2022 (Brecken Mozingo of BYU - 12 goals, 10 assists).
MULTI-GOAL GAMES
Michelle Cooper collected her school-record seventh multi-goal performance of the season with two goals against Alabama. She passed Kim DeCesare (5) on Duke's single-season charts. Cooper owns nine over her career, which ranks second on Duke's all-time charts.
IN THE ACC/NCAA STATS
The Duke duo of Michelle Cooper and Kat Rader ranked in numerous categories in the ACC/NCAA stats.
DUKE IN THE ACC/NCAA STATISTICS
MICHELLE COOPER ACC NCAA
Points Per Game 1 3 2.23
Points 1 2 49
Goals Per Game 1 5 .86
Goals 1 2 19
Shots Per Game T1 T10 4.36
Shots T1 83
Assists Per Game 3 T18 .50
Assists 3 T9 11
KAT RADER
Points Per Game 8 T61 1.26
Points 6 T26 29
Goals Per Game 6 54 .52
Goals 6 T25 12
GROFF NETS WINNER
Duke received the game-winner at the 87:42 mark on against 16th-ranked Texas in the NCAA second round as Mackenzie Pluck found Katie Groff for a header off a corner kick. Groff netted her fourth career goal and third game-winner.
ROOKIE FOUND THE NET
Freshman Kat Rader turned in one of the best individual seasons for a rookie in Blue Devil history. She registered 12 goals on the year, which ranked tied for first on Duke's single-season freshman charts along with Michelle Cooper. Rader's 29 points were tied for second on Duke's freshman list.
MOST POINTS BY FRESHMAN IN NCAA
1. Kat Rader, Duke 29
2. Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern 27
Tiana Johnson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 27
4. Ivey Crain, William & Mary 24
5. Lumi Kostmayer, Stanford 23
MOST GOALS BY FRESHMAN IN NCAA
1. Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern 13
2. Tiana Johnson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12
Kat Rader, Duke 12
4. Lumi Kostmayer, Stanford 10
PLUCK MOVED UP THE RECORD CHARTS
Graduate student Mackenzie Pluck finished her career with 29 assists to rank tied for fourth on Duke's all-time assist charts. Pluck totaled 106 matches played to move into sole possession of first on Duke's record book. She passed Natasha Anasi and Laura Weinberg, who competed in 97 matches at Duke.
DUKE CAREER ASSIST LIST
1. Andi Melde, 1994-97 42
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 35
3. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 34
4. Mollie Pathman, 2010-13 29
Mackenzie Pluck, 2018-22 29
TOP SCORING DUOS
Duke's Michelle Cooper and Kat Rader ranked first as a scoring duo in the ACC and NCAA combining for 31 goals. When Kat Rader scored this season, the Blue Devils featured a 9-0-1 ledger. Duke was 9-2-1 this season and 19-2-1 over the last two years when Michelle Cooper scored.
TOP SCORING DUOS IN THE ACC & NCAA
1. Michelle Cooper & Kat Rader (Duke) 31
2. O. Wingate & K. Albert (Notre Dame) 30
SIX BLUE DEVILS NOMINTED FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS
Six members of the Duke squad – Delaney Graham, Maggie Graham, Katie Groff, Ruthie Jones, Sophie Jones and Mackenzie Pluck – were nominated for the College Sports Communicators 2022 Academic All-District honors.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Duke finished No. 8 in the final regular season rankings for the United Soccer Coaches poll. It marked the seventh time out of the last eight years the Blue Devils have finished in the top-10. Duke was No. 6 in the final poll of the season following the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils earned a spot in the top-10 of the United Soccer Coaches final rankings for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (since 2015), the most top-10 finishes by any program nationally in that span.
GOAL-SCORING MACHINE
Over her first 40 matches played at Duke, Michelle Cooper tallied 31 goals. In 40 matches played at Duke, Cooper tallied at least a goal or assist in 29 of those contests. The most combined goals scored by a Blue Devil in their freshman and sophomore seasons was 24 by Caitlin Connolly with Cooper passing her with 31. Cooper posted 78 points and ranked first on Duke's record charts for the most points through her sophomore season.
MOST GOALS THROUGH SOPHOMORE SEASON
1. Michelle Cooper (2021-22) 31
2. Caitlin Connolly (1989-90) 24
3. Casey McCluskey (2001-02) 19
4. Laura Weinberg (2010-11) 18
5. Carolyn Riggs (2002-03) 17
MOST POINTS THROUGH SOPHOMORE SEASON
1. Michelle Cooper (2021-22) 78
2. Caitlin Connolly (1989-90) 53
3. Ella Stevens (2016-17) 47
4. Mollie Pathman (2010-11) 44
5. Andi Melde (1994-95) 43
ALL-TIME MINUTES PLAYED LEADER
Graduate student Delaney Graham logged 8,767 minutes over her five years at Duke, which is a new Duke record. She passed Tara Campbell (8,003). With 103 matches started, Graham ranked first on Duke's all-time charts as she passed Tara Campbell (91) in the WFU match. Graham played 105 matches, which ranked second all-time on Duke's charts behind Mackenzie Pluck (107).
COOPER, RADER NET TOP HONORS; FIVE NAMED ALL-ACC
Michelle Cooper has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Kat Rader was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year, while five Blue Devils were selected to the All-ACC Teams as the ACC announced its women's soccer postseason awards. Cooper earned All-ACC First Team accolades, while Rader, graduate student Delaney Graham, senior Ruthie Jones and senior Sophie Jones earned second-team honors. It marked the fourth time in school history Duke has registered five or more All-ACC selections in a single season (2017, 2011, 1994).
With the first-team nod, Cooper was just the second Blue Devil and 13th ACC player to earn All-ACC First Team honors as a freshman and sophomore (McCluskey). It marked the second straight year and the fifth time in school history a Duke student-athlete has earned ACC Freshman of the Year. Rader joins Cooper (2021), Cassie Pecht (2012), McCluskey (2001) and Isis Dallis (1997). Rader also received All-ACC Freshman Team honors. The Blue Devils have featured at least one player on the All-ACC Freshman Team every year except one, since the ACC began recognizing freshmen in 2000.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED
Duke senior Sophie Jones started all 75 matches she played in with the Blue Devils. That streak ranked fifth in the ACC. Jones' 75-straight ranked fifth on Duke's all-time charts.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED IN ACC
1. Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia 107
2. Lulu Guttenberger, NC State 95
3. Jenna Butler, NC State 86
4. Mackenzie Wood, Notre Dame 79
5. Sophie Jones, Duke 75
6. Athalie Palomo, Pitt 71
7. Jameese Joseph, NC State 70
8. Michela Agresti, Boston College 66
TOUGH LOSSES
Duke's five losses came against teams that were ranked No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 nationally when the Blue Devils played them. In those games, Duke scored only four goals. In the 15 wins this season, Duke has averaged 2.67 goals, allowed only seven goals and averaged 16.9 shots a contest.
RUTHIE JONES WAS SOLID IN NET
Since taking over the starting goalkeeper duties on Sept. 17, 2020, Ruthie Jones emerged as one of the top players in the nation at her position. Her 0.77 career goals against average was the second-best mark in program history (minimum 20 games played). Jones' 25 shutouts ranked fifth on Duke's all-time career charts.
SISTER, SISTER
Duke featured two sets of sisters on the 2022 team with Delaney (Gr.) and Maggie (Jr.) Graham along with Jenna (Gr.) and Emily (Jr.) Royson. It marked the first time in school history the Blue Devils had two sets of sisters on the same team.
There were 51 teams in NCAA Division I that featured at least one sister duo in 2022, while nine schools have two sister tandems -- Duke, Kansas State, Minnesota, Purdue, Saint Francis, South Dakota State, Tulsa, UC Irvine and Western Carolina. The ACC featured five teams with a sister duo -- Boston College, Duke, Clemson, North Carolina and NC State. The Blue Devils have had three sets of sisters play together over the history of the program -- Ashley and Avery Rape (2010 & 2011); Kelly and Erin Hathorn (2005 & 2006).
GRAHAM, PLUCK USE EXTRA YEAR
Duke standouts Delaney Graham and Mackenzie Pluck each announced last spring that they would use their extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compete for the Blue Devils in the 2022 season. Graham was in the continuing studies program, while Pluck attended the Duke Fuqua School of Business.
U.S. SOCCER NAMES AWARD AFTER OVERBECK
U.S. Soccer announced that the board of directors voted to approve two new awards that will be presented each year at the Annual General Meeting dinner. One of the awards is named after Duke assistant coach Carla Overbeck – The Carla Overbeck Leadership Award.
The Carla Overbeck Leadership Award will be given to an individual who demonstrates a unique ability to lead and guide others and who contributes to the success of an initiative that benefits those outside their own organization and places emphasis on collaboration within and among leadership. One of the best to play the game of soccer, Overbeck is one of the most respected and decorated women's soccer players in the world. Her playing accomplishments are more than impressive. Overbeck was a member of three U.S. World Cup teams, two Olympic squads and one Goodwill Games.
U-20 WORLD CUP IN COSTA RICA
Duke was without the services of returning leading scorer Michelle Cooper and freshman Carina Lageyre for the ECU match as they were representing the United States in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica.
The USA squad went 1-2 in the group stage and did not advance into the knockout round.
In the opening contest against Ghana, Cooper scored a goal and assisted on another. She started two of the three matches and played in each contest. Lageyre came off the bench in the first two matches for the USA. Cooper was named the U.S. captain for the World Cup. She was the first Black player to captain the USA in a Women's World Cup.
FRESHMEN START
A trio of Duke freshmen -- Devin Lynch, Kat Rader and Ellle Piper -- started at ECU in the season opener marking the 36th, 37th and 38th rookies to start their first collegiate contest at Duke under head coach Robbie Church. The three freshmen to start in the season opener was the most for Duke since the 2014 campaign.
GoDuke.com takes a look back at a record-breaking season that cumulated in Michelle Cooper winning the Hermann Trophy for the first time in program history.
SCHOOL-RECORD SEASON
Sophomore Michelle Cooper continued to rewrite the Duke record book as she completed her second season with the Blue Devils. In 2022, she tallied a school-record 49 points, breaking Laura Weinberg's mark of 44 from 2012. Cooper's 49 points were the most in the ACC since the 2014 campaign (Makenzy Doniak of Virginia with 51). Cooper's seven matches with multiple goals also broke Kim DeCesare's record of five from 2012.
With her 19 goals on the season, Cooper broke Kelly Walbert's record of 18 from 1994. As a team, Duke collected 57 assists to rank tied for fourth on the Blue Devil single-season charts.
MAC HERMANN TROPHY WINNER
Duke's Michelle Cooper capped off an impressive sophomore campaign in St. Louis as she was presented with the 2022 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy at the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) annual banquet. It marked the first time a Duke women's soccer standout has won the Hermann Trophy. Joining Cooper in St. Louis was Blue Devil men's soccer junior midfielder Peter Stroud, who was a finalist as well.
Duke was the first school to have a finalist from both the men's and women's team since Stanford did so in 2017. She was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 in all three categories. In the NCAA stats, Cooper ranked No. 2 in points (49), tied for second in goals (19) and tied for ninth in assists (11). She was one of only two players in the country to collect 10 or more goals and assists this season. Cooper scored or assisted on an impressive 10 game-winning goals on the season for the Blue Devils. She came up big in the NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils as she scored six goals, which tied for an NCAA best, while her 13 points were the second-most in the tournament.
Cooper notched eight school records on the season – goals (19), points (49), multi-goal games (7), NCAA Tournament goals (6), NCAA Tournament points (13), most goals (31) and points (78) through a sophomore season. She scored 12 goals and added six assists against nationally-ranked opponents.
ICYMI ??
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) January 7, 2023
Congratulations to the ??, ?? & MAC Hermann Trophy winner, Michelle Cooper ?????? pic.twitter.com/2EEEXEovnQ
TRIO OF BLUE DEVILS SELECTED IN NWSL DRAFT
Highlighted by Michelle Cooper going No. 2, a trio of Blue Devils were selected in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft in January. Selected by the Kansas City Current with the second overall pick, Cooper became the highest Duke women's soccer player taken in a professional draft. Then in the fourth round, Delaney Graham was picked by the Washington Spirit followed by Sophie Jones by the Chicago Red Stars.
It marked the third time Duke has featured three or more student-athletes selected in the NWSL Draft (2022, 2018, 2014). Cooper was the fifth Duke standout taken in the first round in school history, all which have come in the last seven years. The Blue Devils have now featured 20 Duke women's soccer student-athletes drafted in the NWSL, including 17 under Church.
DUKE FINISHES SEASON RANKED NO. 6
The United Soccer Coaches released its end-of-season national rankings for the 2022 campaign, with Duke coming in at No. 6 in the final ledger. The Blue Devils earned a spot in the top-10 of the United Soccer Coaches final rankings for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (since 2015), the most top-10 finishes by any program nationally in that span. National Champion UCLA earned the top slot, while North Carolina, Florida State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina and TCU rounded out the top-10 teams.
COOPER TURNS PROFESSIONAL
Duke sophomore forward Michelle Cooper announced that she will forego her remaining years of eligibility and pursue a professional soccer career. "After much thought and consideration, I have decided to pursue my soccer career professionally," said Cooper. "This was such a difficult decision, but one that was made with my heart and the people I love and trust dearly. I would like to thank my family for providing me with endless support in everything I do and my teammates who I can forever call my best friends. I would also like to thank my coaches here at Duke for giving me the opportunity to play for this amazing program and represent this phenomenal school. The experiences from these past two years will be ones that I will forever cherish."
Since stepping foot on the pitch in Durham as a freshman, Cooper was one of the best players in the nation and rewrote the Duke record books through two seasons with the Blue Devils. In two years, Cooper collected 31 goals, 16 assists and 78 points as she helped lead Duke to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearances and 31 victories. She scored or assisted in 29-of-40 career matches as a Blue Devil. Her 78 points are tied for 10th on the Blue Devil career charts. A native of Clarkston, Mich., Cooper collected eight game-winning goals and nine multi-goal games over two seasons. She also played some of her best soccer in the NCAA Tournament notching eight goals and 18 points in eight matches.
SIX BLUE DEVILS IN TOPDRAWERSOCCER TOP 100
With the completion of the 2022 campaign, TopDrawerSoccer released its top-100 rankings with six different Blue Devils listed – Michelle Cooper (2), Sophie Jones (4), Ruthie Jones (54) and Delaney Graham (86). TopDrawerSoccer also finalized its list of the top-100 freshmen in the nation with Kat Rader (2) and Devin Lynch (83) among the student-athletes recognized. Duke was the only school with two players in the top-10 of the national rankings.
DUKE TRIO HONORED BY TOPDRAWERSOCCER
TopDrawerSoccer released its end-of-season awards with a trio of Blue Devils earning Best XI Teams – Michelle Cooper, Sophie Jones and Kat Rader. Both Cooper and Jones were tabbed to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team, while Rader received Freshman Best XI First Team honors.
GRAHAM NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
For the third straight year, Duke graduate student Delaney Graham was tabbed Academic All-America following a vote of College Sports Communicators. Graham became just the fourth Duke student-athlete to earn the award on three different occasions – Max Quinzani (Men's Lacrosse in 2008, '09, '10), Amanda Blumenherst (Women's Golf in 2007, '08, '09) and Mike Diminick (Football in 1986, '87, '88).
Graham graduated in May of 2022 from Duke with Distinction and Cum Laude with a degree in biology along with a minor in chemistry. She enrolled in the continuing studies program in the fall as she played her fifth year with the Blue Devils. Graham features an impressive 3.92 grade-point average.
A four-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, Graham started all 23 matches on the 2022 season and turned in seven assists, which were the third-most on the team. She helped Duke collect 11 shutouts on the defensive end as well.
Graham was a rock on the defensive end for Duke over the last four years helping the Blue Devils to 52 shutouts. Her 103 matches started is a new career record, while also playing in 105 contests, notching four goals and 19 assists for 27 points. Graham also played in a school-record 8,767 minutes.
She is one of eight Duke women's soccer players in Duke history to earn Academic All-America from College Sports Communicators (formally CoSIDA) – Kayla McCoy (2018), Imani Dorsey (2017, 2016), Christina Gibbons (2016), Laura Weinberg (2012), Mollie Pathman (2012), Maddy Haller (2011) and Rachel-Rose Cohen (2005, 2006).
For the third time in her career, Delaney Graham receives Academic All-America honors from College Sports Communicators! ??
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) December 6, 2022
?? https://t.co/Rs2d43K2uZ#GoDuke pic.twitter.com/6YS8oGj7xD
COOPER NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA
For the second straight year, Duke's Michelle Cooper was recognized as a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American as the organization released its first, second and third team accolades. She became the first Blue Devil to earn First-Team All-America honors in each of her first two seasons at Duke.
FOUR BLUE DEVILS TABBED ALL-REGION
The United Soccer Coaches released the All-Region selections for the 2022 campaign with four members of the Duke women's soccer team earning accolades. Sophomore Michelle Cooper earned first-team honors, while both Delaney Graham and Sophie Jones were named to the second team and freshman Kat Rader earned third-team recognition.
TEAM WINS & TOUGH SCHEDULE
Duke registered 15 wins on the season, which ranked tied for seventh-most in school history. The Blue Devils registered 15 wins under head coach Robbie Church for the ninth time.
In the NCAA RPI, Duke was No. 5 with its five losses coming to FSU (2), UCLA (1), UNC (3), Alabama (4) and Virginia (8). The Blue Devils' schedule was ranked the toughest nationally by the NCAA. Duke faced nine top-10 teams on the season.
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Blue Devils competed in their 28th all-time NCAA Championship and hold a 48-24-11 overall record in 83 tournament matches. The Blue Devils are 41-17-10 under Robbie Church in the NCAA Championship. He has led Duke to the big dance in 20 of his 22 seasons in Durham. Duke has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship nine times over the last 12 seasons (since 2011).
NCAA QUARTERFINAL APPEARANCES SINCE 2011
Rk Team Appearances (last)
1. Florida State 10 (2022)
2. Duke 9 (2022)
3. Stanford 7 (2019)
UCLA 7 (2022)
5. North Carolina 6 (2022)
Virginia 6 (2022)
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORDS
The Blue Devils advanced to three straight NCAA Elite Eights, the second round in 2019 and round of 16 in 2018. Ruthie Jones appeared in 12 matches in the NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils in goal and helped Duke to seven shutouts over the last four years. She has allowed only eight goals in 12 matches and notched four shutouts. Duke featured 10 different players that have scored at least one in the NCAA Tournament - Michelle Cooper (8), Olivia Migli (3), Emmy Duerr (2), Mackenzie Pluck (2), Delaney Graham (2), Elle Piper (1), Kat Rader (1), Sophie Jones (1), Katie Groff (1) and Grace Watkins (1).
IN THE 2022 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Michelle Cooper collected 13 points in the 2022 NCAA Tournament to rank second among the field. Her 21 shots ranked tied for fifth. Cooper's six goals ranked tied for first along with Jessica De Filippo of Arkansas. Kat Rader's two assists ranked tied for 10th. Ruthie Jones collected 13 saves to rank tied for ninth.
DUKE'S NCAA CAREER RECORDS
In just two seasons, Michelle Cooper tallied eight goals scored in the NCAA Tournament, which ranked tied for second on Duke's all-time charts -- Kaitlyn Kerr (9), Kim DeCesare (8), Kayla McCoy (7) and Toni Payne (6). Cooper's 18 points in the NCAA Tournament, which also ranked tied for second behind Kaitly Kerr (20) and tied with Kayla McCoy (18).
Delaney Graham's 1,447 career minutes in the NCAA Tournament were a new Duke school record. Ruthie Jones' five shutouts ranked tied for second along with Allison Lipsher, while EJ Proctor owns the record with nine. Cooper notched a school-record four braces in the NCAA Tournament. Graham finished her career with five assists, while Mackenzie Pluck notched four assists over the last five years.
DUKE NCAA SEASON RECORD
Michelle Cooper's six goals and 13 points in the 2022 NCAA Tournament ranked first on Duke's record charts. She also notched a school-record three multi-goal games.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Duke collected a 7-5-2 record against ranked opponents this season. Michelle Cooper scored 12 goals in 14 games against ranked foes, while adding six assists. Kat Rader notched five goals and five assists for 15 points against ranked teams.
10/10 MILESTONE
At Virginia, Michelle Cooper notched her 10th assist of the season to become the third Blue Devil to notch 10 or more goals and assists in a season -- Imani Dorsey (2017), Laura Weinberg (2012). Cooper notched 19 goals and 11 assists. Cooper was one of only two players in the NCAA Division I to have 10 or more goals and assists in 2022 (Brecken Mozingo of BYU - 12 goals, 10 assists).
MULTI-GOAL GAMES
Michelle Cooper collected her school-record seventh multi-goal performance of the season with two goals against Alabama. She passed Kim DeCesare (5) on Duke's single-season charts. Cooper owns nine over her career, which ranks second on Duke's all-time charts.
Woahhhh ??????#GoDuke pic.twitter.com/mayybfLoWR
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) November 22, 2022
IN THE ACC/NCAA STATS
The Duke duo of Michelle Cooper and Kat Rader ranked in numerous categories in the ACC/NCAA stats.
DUKE IN THE ACC/NCAA STATISTICS
MICHELLE COOPER ACC NCAA
Points Per Game 1 3 2.23
Points 1 2 49
Goals Per Game 1 5 .86
Goals 1 2 19
Shots Per Game T1 T10 4.36
Shots T1 83
Assists Per Game 3 T18 .50
Assists 3 T9 11
KAT RADER
Points Per Game 8 T61 1.26
Points 6 T26 29
Goals Per Game 6 54 .52
Goals 6 T25 12
GROFF NETS WINNER
Duke received the game-winner at the 87:42 mark on against 16th-ranked Texas in the NCAA second round as Mackenzie Pluck found Katie Groff for a header off a corner kick. Groff netted her fourth career goal and third game-winner.
87' | GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL DUKE!
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) November 19, 2022
Katie converts on the header from Mac's corner to put Duke on top!#GoDuke pic.twitter.com/8vlqjsLFsV
ROOKIE FOUND THE NET
Freshman Kat Rader turned in one of the best individual seasons for a rookie in Blue Devil history. She registered 12 goals on the year, which ranked tied for first on Duke's single-season freshman charts along with Michelle Cooper. Rader's 29 points were tied for second on Duke's freshman list.
MOST POINTS BY FRESHMAN IN NCAA
1. Kat Rader, Duke 29
2. Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern 27
Tiana Johnson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 27
4. Ivey Crain, William & Mary 24
5. Lumi Kostmayer, Stanford 23
MOST GOALS BY FRESHMAN IN NCAA
1. Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern 13
2. Tiana Johnson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12
Kat Rader, Duke 12
4. Lumi Kostmayer, Stanford 10
PLUCK MOVED UP THE RECORD CHARTS
Graduate student Mackenzie Pluck finished her career with 29 assists to rank tied for fourth on Duke's all-time assist charts. Pluck totaled 106 matches played to move into sole possession of first on Duke's record book. She passed Natasha Anasi and Laura Weinberg, who competed in 97 matches at Duke.
DUKE CAREER ASSIST LIST
1. Andi Melde, 1994-97 42
2. Elisabeth Redmond, 2006-09 35
3. Ella Stevens, 2016-19 34
4. Mollie Pathman, 2010-13 29
Mackenzie Pluck, 2018-22 29
TOP SCORING DUOS
Duke's Michelle Cooper and Kat Rader ranked first as a scoring duo in the ACC and NCAA combining for 31 goals. When Kat Rader scored this season, the Blue Devils featured a 9-0-1 ledger. Duke was 9-2-1 this season and 19-2-1 over the last two years when Michelle Cooper scored.
TOP SCORING DUOS IN THE ACC & NCAA
1. Michelle Cooper & Kat Rader (Duke) 31
2. O. Wingate & K. Albert (Notre Dame) 30
SIX BLUE DEVILS NOMINTED FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS
Six members of the Duke squad – Delaney Graham, Maggie Graham, Katie Groff, Ruthie Jones, Sophie Jones and Mackenzie Pluck – were nominated for the College Sports Communicators 2022 Academic All-District honors.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Duke finished No. 8 in the final regular season rankings for the United Soccer Coaches poll. It marked the seventh time out of the last eight years the Blue Devils have finished in the top-10. Duke was No. 6 in the final poll of the season following the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils earned a spot in the top-10 of the United Soccer Coaches final rankings for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (since 2015), the most top-10 finishes by any program nationally in that span.
GOAL-SCORING MACHINE
Over her first 40 matches played at Duke, Michelle Cooper tallied 31 goals. In 40 matches played at Duke, Cooper tallied at least a goal or assist in 29 of those contests. The most combined goals scored by a Blue Devil in their freshman and sophomore seasons was 24 by Caitlin Connolly with Cooper passing her with 31. Cooper posted 78 points and ranked first on Duke's record charts for the most points through her sophomore season.
MOST GOALS THROUGH SOPHOMORE SEASON
1. Michelle Cooper (2021-22) 31
2. Caitlin Connolly (1989-90) 24
3. Casey McCluskey (2001-02) 19
4. Laura Weinberg (2010-11) 18
5. Carolyn Riggs (2002-03) 17
MOST POINTS THROUGH SOPHOMORE SEASON
1. Michelle Cooper (2021-22) 78
2. Caitlin Connolly (1989-90) 53
3. Ella Stevens (2016-17) 47
4. Mollie Pathman (2010-11) 44
5. Andi Melde (1994-95) 43
ALL-TIME MINUTES PLAYED LEADER
Graduate student Delaney Graham logged 8,767 minutes over her five years at Duke, which is a new Duke record. She passed Tara Campbell (8,003). With 103 matches started, Graham ranked first on Duke's all-time charts as she passed Tara Campbell (91) in the WFU match. Graham played 105 matches, which ranked second all-time on Duke's charts behind Mackenzie Pluck (107).
COOPER, RADER NET TOP HONORS; FIVE NAMED ALL-ACC
Michelle Cooper has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Kat Rader was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year, while five Blue Devils were selected to the All-ACC Teams as the ACC announced its women's soccer postseason awards. Cooper earned All-ACC First Team accolades, while Rader, graduate student Delaney Graham, senior Ruthie Jones and senior Sophie Jones earned second-team honors. It marked the fourth time in school history Duke has registered five or more All-ACC selections in a single season (2017, 2011, 1994).
With the first-team nod, Cooper was just the second Blue Devil and 13th ACC player to earn All-ACC First Team honors as a freshman and sophomore (McCluskey). It marked the second straight year and the fifth time in school history a Duke student-athlete has earned ACC Freshman of the Year. Rader joins Cooper (2021), Cassie Pecht (2012), McCluskey (2001) and Isis Dallis (1997). Rader also received All-ACC Freshman Team honors. The Blue Devils have featured at least one player on the All-ACC Freshman Team every year except one, since the ACC began recognizing freshmen in 2000.
???????? Blue Devils earn All-ACC accolades! ? pic.twitter.com/uElJvmI0z1
— Duke Athletics (@DukeATHLETICS) November 2, 2022
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED
Duke senior Sophie Jones started all 75 matches she played in with the Blue Devils. That streak ranked fifth in the ACC. Jones' 75-straight ranked fifth on Duke's all-time charts.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED IN ACC
1. Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia 107
2. Lulu Guttenberger, NC State 95
3. Jenna Butler, NC State 86
4. Mackenzie Wood, Notre Dame 79
5. Sophie Jones, Duke 75
6. Athalie Palomo, Pitt 71
7. Jameese Joseph, NC State 70
8. Michela Agresti, Boston College 66
TOUGH LOSSES
Duke's five losses came against teams that were ranked No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 nationally when the Blue Devils played them. In those games, Duke scored only four goals. In the 15 wins this season, Duke has averaged 2.67 goals, allowed only seven goals and averaged 16.9 shots a contest.
RUTHIE JONES WAS SOLID IN NET
Since taking over the starting goalkeeper duties on Sept. 17, 2020, Ruthie Jones emerged as one of the top players in the nation at her position. Her 0.77 career goals against average was the second-best mark in program history (minimum 20 games played). Jones' 25 shutouts ranked fifth on Duke's all-time career charts.
SISTER, SISTER
Duke featured two sets of sisters on the 2022 team with Delaney (Gr.) and Maggie (Jr.) Graham along with Jenna (Gr.) and Emily (Jr.) Royson. It marked the first time in school history the Blue Devils had two sets of sisters on the same team.
There were 51 teams in NCAA Division I that featured at least one sister duo in 2022, while nine schools have two sister tandems -- Duke, Kansas State, Minnesota, Purdue, Saint Francis, South Dakota State, Tulsa, UC Irvine and Western Carolina. The ACC featured five teams with a sister duo -- Boston College, Duke, Clemson, North Carolina and NC State. The Blue Devils have had three sets of sisters play together over the history of the program -- Ashley and Avery Rape (2010 & 2011); Kelly and Erin Hathorn (2005 & 2006).
Go-to karaoke song? Childhood celebrity crush? Stop there ??
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) October 18, 2022
Catch up with the Royson sisters ????? pic.twitter.com/Tu6jik1aZo
GRAHAM, PLUCK USE EXTRA YEAR
Duke standouts Delaney Graham and Mackenzie Pluck each announced last spring that they would use their extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compete for the Blue Devils in the 2022 season. Graham was in the continuing studies program, while Pluck attended the Duke Fuqua School of Business.
U.S. SOCCER NAMES AWARD AFTER OVERBECK
U.S. Soccer announced that the board of directors voted to approve two new awards that will be presented each year at the Annual General Meeting dinner. One of the awards is named after Duke assistant coach Carla Overbeck – The Carla Overbeck Leadership Award.
The Carla Overbeck Leadership Award will be given to an individual who demonstrates a unique ability to lead and guide others and who contributes to the success of an initiative that benefits those outside their own organization and places emphasis on collaboration within and among leadership. One of the best to play the game of soccer, Overbeck is one of the most respected and decorated women's soccer players in the world. Her playing accomplishments are more than impressive. Overbeck was a member of three U.S. World Cup teams, two Olympic squads and one Goodwill Games.
U-20 WORLD CUP IN COSTA RICA
Duke was without the services of returning leading scorer Michelle Cooper and freshman Carina Lageyre for the ECU match as they were representing the United States in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica.
The USA squad went 1-2 in the group stage and did not advance into the knockout round.
In the opening contest against Ghana, Cooper scored a goal and assisted on another. She started two of the three matches and played in each contest. Lageyre came off the bench in the first two matches for the USA. Cooper was named the U.S. captain for the World Cup. She was the first Black player to captain the USA in a Women's World Cup.
FRESHMEN START
A trio of Duke freshmen -- Devin Lynch, Kat Rader and Ellle Piper -- started at ECU in the season opener marking the 36th, 37th and 38th rookies to start their first collegiate contest at Duke under head coach Robbie Church. The three freshmen to start in the season opener was the most for Duke since the 2014 campaign.
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/ Women's SoccerKieran Hall, Kat Rader, Mia Minestrella Postgame Vs. Elon
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Kieran Hall & Kat Rader Postgame Vs. Notre Dame
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Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. Louisville
Monday, November 03
Caroline Dysart Postgame Vs. Louisville
Monday, November 03
