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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vs #1 Stanford
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Photo by: Duke Athletics
Women's Soccer Primed for Another Stellar Season
8/17/2023 9:33:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Jack Spalding, Duke Athletics Communications Summer Intern
DURHAM – Another exciting year is upon us at Duke as the women's soccer team begins their 36th season as a program in 2023 and 23rd under the direction of head coach Robbie Church. With the regular season set to begin Thursday evening by hosting West Virginia at 7 p.m., there is much to be excited about for the Blue Devils and fans alike.
Coming off three straight NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances, Duke returns 15 letterwinners and five starters including sophomore Kat Rader and senior Maggie Graham as well as seniors Katie Groff, Olivia Migli, and Emily Royson. The team also welcomes the sixth overall ranked recruiting class with eight freshmen and three incoming transfers.
Four members of the class were listed in the top-40 of the class by TopDrawerSoccer, including defender Cameron Roller (5th), forward Mia Minestrella (13th) and midfielders Kiera Clemens (26th) and Phoebe Goldthwaite (38th). The three incoming transfers include the reigning Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year Leah Freeman from Oregon, former Notre Dame mainstay Kati Druzina and forward Julia Saunicheva from UCLA.
During the 2022 season, Duke finished fifth in the ACC with a 15-5-3 (6-2-2) record and hopes to build on its strong season last year with continued improvement from mainstays and newcomers alike. When asked about the team's consistent appearances in the NCAA Quarterfinals and how they can improve enough to reach the next level, Graham commented on the team's collective motivation to reach new heights.
"We're very proud of the fact that we've made the Elite Eight for those years, but I think everyone wants to push past that point." said Graham. "Something we're doing in preseason is having that collective buy-in from everybody. There's a really big family atmosphere this year and everybody wants so badly to win."
One player in particular looking to build on her strong rookie season at Duke is Rader, who's already gotten off to a terrific start to the year with two goals against South Carolina this past Thursday in an exhibition match. Coming from Stuart, Fla., Rader recorded 12 goals and five assists in 2022, finishing second on the team in scoring and taking home ACC Freshman of the Year honors.
Rader is one of many players to look out for during this upcoming season, joined by Graham and Groff, who have combined to start 79 matches over the last three seasons. When asked about Rader's next steps this season to build off of her terrific start at Duke, Church highlighted her growth in the exhibition games as a player compared to last season and praised the work she's put in so far.
"We've seen a really good version of Kat all during preseason – improving, attacking players and improving on being able to get shots off quickly when she has a window," Church said. "She has that goal-scoring mentality, and she has shown that during preseason."
Along with the Blue Devils' five returning starters, six other student-athletes who started in at least one match this past season will also be returning including defenders Elle Piper, Nicky Chico and Baleigh Bruster, along with forwards Grace Watkins and Devin Lynch and midfielder Carina Lageyre.
Lageyre, a native of Cooper City, Fla., is coming off a tough year with injuries and looks to be a key piece to the Blue Devils' success this season. After representing the United States at the U-20 World Cup, Lageyre returned to Durham with an injury and never could stay healthy during her rookie campaign.
Duke lost two key components to its defense a season ago, but Piper, Royson, Chico and Bruster along with newcomers Roller and Druzina, the Blue Devils don't expect to miss a beat. Duke has logged 34 shutouts the last three seasons and hope to continue to set the tone on the defensive side of the ball in 2023.
In goal, adding Freeman to the mix alongside sophomore Caroline Duffy and newcomer Bianca Dominguez shores up the position and should make up for the loss of long-time starter Ruthie Jones. When asked about the expectations this season for the goalkeepers and replacing the consistency of Jones in goal, Church praised the depth at the position and how that can prove to be a valuable asset this year as they look to move on from Jones.
"We're very fortunate to have two really good goalkeepers," Church said. "We have to replace a great young lady in Ruthie Jones and a great goalkeeper for many years here, but that position can be a strength of ours and it has shown to be a strength of ours up to this point in preseason."
This Blue Devil roster is a strong mix of both youth and experience, a good blend that will hopefully carry Duke far in the postseason this year. However, one question Duke will have to answer this season is who will take the scoring leap to make up for the loss of Michelle Cooper, who was selected second overall in the NWSL draft and was also awarded MAC Hermann Trophy as the National Player of the Year following her last season at Duke in 2022.
Duke scored four goals in two exhibition matches in the preseason. Mix in Rader along with the returning players and newcomers the Blue Devils have the firepower to once again be one of the top programs in the nation.
With so much talent on the roster, all signs point to another successful year for the Blue Devils.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
DURHAM – Another exciting year is upon us at Duke as the women's soccer team begins their 36th season as a program in 2023 and 23rd under the direction of head coach Robbie Church. With the regular season set to begin Thursday evening by hosting West Virginia at 7 p.m., there is much to be excited about for the Blue Devils and fans alike.
Coming off three straight NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances, Duke returns 15 letterwinners and five starters including sophomore Kat Rader and senior Maggie Graham as well as seniors Katie Groff, Olivia Migli, and Emily Royson. The team also welcomes the sixth overall ranked recruiting class with eight freshmen and three incoming transfers.
Four members of the class were listed in the top-40 of the class by TopDrawerSoccer, including defender Cameron Roller (5th), forward Mia Minestrella (13th) and midfielders Kiera Clemens (26th) and Phoebe Goldthwaite (38th). The three incoming transfers include the reigning Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year Leah Freeman from Oregon, former Notre Dame mainstay Kati Druzina and forward Julia Saunicheva from UCLA.
During the 2022 season, Duke finished fifth in the ACC with a 15-5-3 (6-2-2) record and hopes to build on its strong season last year with continued improvement from mainstays and newcomers alike. When asked about the team's consistent appearances in the NCAA Quarterfinals and how they can improve enough to reach the next level, Graham commented on the team's collective motivation to reach new heights.
"We're very proud of the fact that we've made the Elite Eight for those years, but I think everyone wants to push past that point." said Graham. "Something we're doing in preseason is having that collective buy-in from everybody. There's a really big family atmosphere this year and everybody wants so badly to win."
BRING IT ON ??#GoDuke pic.twitter.com/RdvIeiDYU4
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) August 16, 2023
One player in particular looking to build on her strong rookie season at Duke is Rader, who's already gotten off to a terrific start to the year with two goals against South Carolina this past Thursday in an exhibition match. Coming from Stuart, Fla., Rader recorded 12 goals and five assists in 2022, finishing second on the team in scoring and taking home ACC Freshman of the Year honors.
Rader is one of many players to look out for during this upcoming season, joined by Graham and Groff, who have combined to start 79 matches over the last three seasons. When asked about Rader's next steps this season to build off of her terrific start at Duke, Church highlighted her growth in the exhibition games as a player compared to last season and praised the work she's put in so far.
"We've seen a really good version of Kat all during preseason – improving, attacking players and improving on being able to get shots off quickly when she has a window," Church said. "She has that goal-scoring mentality, and she has shown that during preseason."
Along with the Blue Devils' five returning starters, six other student-athletes who started in at least one match this past season will also be returning including defenders Elle Piper, Nicky Chico and Baleigh Bruster, along with forwards Grace Watkins and Devin Lynch and midfielder Carina Lageyre.
Lageyre, a native of Cooper City, Fla., is coming off a tough year with injuries and looks to be a key piece to the Blue Devils' success this season. After representing the United States at the U-20 World Cup, Lageyre returned to Durham with an injury and never could stay healthy during her rookie campaign.
Duke lost two key components to its defense a season ago, but Piper, Royson, Chico and Bruster along with newcomers Roller and Druzina, the Blue Devils don't expect to miss a beat. Duke has logged 34 shutouts the last three seasons and hope to continue to set the tone on the defensive side of the ball in 2023.
In goal, adding Freeman to the mix alongside sophomore Caroline Duffy and newcomer Bianca Dominguez shores up the position and should make up for the loss of long-time starter Ruthie Jones. When asked about the expectations this season for the goalkeepers and replacing the consistency of Jones in goal, Church praised the depth at the position and how that can prove to be a valuable asset this year as they look to move on from Jones.
"We're very fortunate to have two really good goalkeepers," Church said. "We have to replace a great young lady in Ruthie Jones and a great goalkeeper for many years here, but that position can be a strength of ours and it has shown to be a strength of ours up to this point in preseason."
This Blue Devil roster is a strong mix of both youth and experience, a good blend that will hopefully carry Duke far in the postseason this year. However, one question Duke will have to answer this season is who will take the scoring leap to make up for the loss of Michelle Cooper, who was selected second overall in the NWSL draft and was also awarded MAC Hermann Trophy as the National Player of the Year following her last season at Duke in 2022.
Duke scored four goals in two exhibition matches in the preseason. Mix in Rader along with the returning players and newcomers the Blue Devils have the firepower to once again be one of the top programs in the nation.
With so much talent on the roster, all signs point to another successful year for the Blue Devils.
MATCH DAY HAS ARRIVED ??
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) August 17, 2023
?? West Virginia
??? Koskinen Stadium
?? 7 p.m.
?? https://t.co/RRUy4MYSHI
?? https://t.co/WcZHFY7UQo
??? https://t.co/cOHxIoJhiI#GoDuke pic.twitter.com/dNmsnRhWai
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
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