Upcoming Event: Field Hockey versus Stanford on September 19, 2025 at 5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
Field Hockey
vs Stanford
Friday, November 17
Chapel Hill, N.C.
3 p.m.
Duke University
vs
Northwestern
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Duke Set to Take on Northwestern in NCAA Semifinal Friday
11/15/2023 4:16:00 PM | Field Hockey
Weekend Details
36 Years and Bustin is Back in Chapel Hill for the Final Weekend
The Opening Hit
7 - Duke appearances in the NCAA Semifinals
162 - Wins for Pam Bustin as the Duke head coach, one shy of surpassing Duke Hall of Fame inductee Jacki Silar's record for wins
278 - Career saves for Piper Hampsch, ranking fifth in Duke single-season history
4-2 -Â Duke's record in NCAA semifinals with the last win being in 2013
8 - Shutouts for the Blue Devils in 2023, the most since the 2003 team had eight
13 - Shutouts for Northwestern in 2023, leading the nation
8.90 - Northwestern's penalty corners per game average this season
4.05 - Average number of penalty corners Duke is allowing per game in 2023
4 - Setbacks this season for Duke to nation's current No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 teams
2.31 - Duke's goals per game average in 2023
0.55 - Northwestern's goals against average this season, the lowest in the country
0.98 - Piper Hampsch's goals against average, leading the ACC and ranking fourth nationally
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What A Turnaround
A Win Sunday Would
Series History
What Gives?    Â
Is 2 the Magic NumberÂ
McVeigh Thriving
Next Game
- The NCAA semifinals at Karen Shelton Stadium get underway Friday at noon with North Carolina battling Virginia. Duke and Northwestern square off at 3 p.m. Both games will be shown live on ESPN+.
- Parking is available for spectators in the Ram's Head Deck for $10 per day. It is directly across from Karen Shelton Stadium. Additional parking for $5 is available at Craig Deck.Â
36 Years and Bustin is Back in Chapel Hill for the Final Weekend
- Duke head coach Pam Bustin has the Blue Devils playing on the final weekend for the third time (2013 & 2015). It is the first time the Blue Devils will play for a title down the road in Chapel Hill, but it won't be the first time for Bustin as 36 years ago the longtime head coach played for UMass in the NCAA semifinals against the host Tar Heels. UMass fell to North Carolina, 3-0, Nov. 21, 1987 before rebounding for a 3-1 win in the third-place match against Iowa the following day.
The Opening Hit
- Duke takes on No. 2 Northwestern in the NCAA semifinal Friday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium. This is the Blue Devils' seventh appearance in the NCAA semifinals and first since 2015. Duke is 4-2 all-time in semifinal contests.
- The Blue Devils, seeded third, are 18-4 overall, which includes nine top-15 wins and five ACC victories. Duke garnered at least a share of the ACC regular season title for the second time in program history.
- Northwestern is 20-1 overall with the lone loss coming against Louisville in the season opener. The Wildcats avenged the loss, beating the Cardinals 3-2 in the quarterfinal.
- The two squads met in the regular season at the ACC/Big 10 Cup in September. Duke grabbed an early 2-0 lead on goals from Alaina McVeigh and Logan Clouser before Northwestern notched three in a span of 23:35 for the win. This is the second time the two squads have met in NCAA Tournament action.
7 - Duke appearances in the NCAA Semifinals
162 - Wins for Pam Bustin as the Duke head coach, one shy of surpassing Duke Hall of Fame inductee Jacki Silar's record for wins
278 - Career saves for Piper Hampsch, ranking fifth in Duke single-season history
4-2 -Â Duke's record in NCAA semifinals with the last win being in 2013
8 - Shutouts for the Blue Devils in 2023, the most since the 2003 team had eight
13 - Shutouts for Northwestern in 2023, leading the nation
8.90 - Northwestern's penalty corners per game average this season
4.05 - Average number of penalty corners Duke is allowing per game in 2023
4 - Setbacks this season for Duke to nation's current No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 teams
2.31 - Duke's goals per game average in 2023
0.55 - Northwestern's goals against average this season, the lowest in the country
0.98 - Piper Hampsch's goals against average, leading the ACC and ranking fourth nationally
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What A Turnaround
- Duke has won 18 games for the fourth time in program history and the first time under head coach Pam Bustin. The 18 wins come on the heels of a 7-11 season in 2022, giving Duke a nine-game improvements.
- The nine-game improvement ranks tied for ninth in NCAA field hockey history.
- Additionally, this marks the 15th time a program has advanced to the NCAA semifinals after not making the NCAA postseason the year prior. Twelve different schools have accomplished the feat, including Duke's 2013 squad that advanced to the NCAA title game.
A Win Sunday Would
- Be Duke's 27th NCAA Tournament victory
- Make Duke 5-2 in NCAA semifinal games
- Be Duke's first NCAA semifinal win since 2013
- Give Duke 19 wins for second time in program history
- Give Duke 19 wins for the first time under head coach Pam Bustin.
- Would be Pam Bustin's 163rd at Duke, passing Jacki Silar for the Duke record for career wins as the Blue Devil leader
Series History
- Duke meets Northwestern for the 15th time overall and for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. The Blue Devils are 8-6 overall against the Wildcats and 3-3 in the past six matchups. Duke last defeated Northwestern, 2-1, in double overtime in 2019 in Evanston.
- The Blue Devils and Wildcats have met once before in the
- NCAA Tournament - a 1-0 win for Duke in Chapel Hill in 2014.
What Gives?    Â
- Friday's game features two of the nation's top three offenses - Northwestern (1) and Duke (3). Both squads sport under a 1.00 goals against average, but average over two goals per game on the offensive end. The Wildcats have allowed just five goals in the past 12 games, while Duke has scored at least two goals in 16 of the 22 games this year, including in the 3-2 setback to the Wildcats in September.
Is 2 the Magic NumberÂ
- Duke has scored two goals in nine games this season, going 8-1 in those contests. The lone loss was the 3-2 setback to Northwestern. Both of Duke's NCAA Tournament wins came by a 2-1 score, but in different manners. Duke led early against American before needing a second goal to break the 1-1 tie. Against the Orange, Syracuse scored the opening goal, but Duke rallied to score twice and hold off the Orange.
- The Blue Devils are a force defensively in the fourth quarter, going 11-0 this season when leading after 45 minutes of play.
McVeigh Thriving
- In 22 games this season, sophomore Alaina McVeigh is second in the ACC with 17 goals. She has scored at least one goal in 14 of the 22 games and owns the winning markers in five, including two in overtime. She scored twice to ice the regular-season victory over Syracuse for the Blue Devils, including a strike that landed on SportsCenter Top 10. She scored on a stroke in the NCAA quarterfinal win.
- With 17 goals this season, McVeigh moved into a tie for 16th in Duke single-season history. The 17 goals are the most since Rose Tynan had 17 in 2017. Her 37 points are 25th in a single season in program lore and the most since Tynan's 37 in 2017.
Next Game
- The winner Friday moves on to the NCAA Championship game in Chapel Hill, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. The advancing team will face either North Carolina or Virginia.
Players Mentioned
What It’s Like to Be a Blue Devil
Friday, June 13
End of Year Recap
Friday, December 13
CoachBustin Postgame: North Carolina
Sunday, November 17
Coach Bustin & Frederique Wollaert Postgame: Maryland
Friday, November 15
