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Women's Soccer
vs Pitt
Sunday, November 24
Durham, N.C.
Duke University
vs
Michigan State
Photo by: Duke Athletics
No. 1 Blue Devils Host No. 16 MSU Sunday in NCAA Round of 16
11/23/2024 9:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer
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Match 20 – NCAA Tournament Round of 16
#16 Michigan State (14-2-5, 7-1-3 B1G) at #1 Duke (16-2-1, 9-0-1 ACC)
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 – 6:00 PM (ET) – ESPN+
Durham, N.C. (Koskinen Stadium)
ESPN+ Talent: Zach Berly (PXP), Matt Stradley (Analyst)
NEED TO KNOW
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
THE SERIES WITH MICHIGAN STATE
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
DUKE VERSUS THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
FAST START IN 2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT
LOOKING AT THE 2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT STATS
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
NCAA quarterfinal appearances since 2011
Rk Team Appearances (last)
1. Florida State 11 (2023)
2. Duke 9 (2022)
3. Stanford 8 (2023)
North Carolina 8 (2023)
5. UCLA 7 (2022)
6. Virginia 6 (2022)
Penn State 6 (2023)
PLAYING AT HOME IN THE NCAAS
ROBBIE CHURCH IN FINAL NCAAS
RECORD WATCH
MOST POINTS IN A SEASON
1. 2012 (65 goals, 77 assists) 207
2. 2024 (62 goals, 71 assists) 205
3. 2004 (65 goals, 73 assists) 203
MOST GOALS IN A SEASON
1. 1989 67
2. 2012 65
2004 65
2024 65
MOST ASSISTS IN A SEASON
1. 2012 77
2. 2024 75
3. 2004 73
MULTIPLE DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS
SCORING TANDEMS
TOP SCORING TANDEMS IN DUKE HISTORY
32 Laura Weinberg (16), Kim DeCesare (16), 2012
31 Michelle Cooper (19), Kat Rader (12), 2022
28 Imani Dorsey (14), Kayla McCoy (14), 2017
27 KayAnne Gummersall (15), Elisabeth Redmond (12), 2008
26 Kelly Walbert (18), Andi Melde (8), 1994
26 Mia Minestrella (12), Maggie Graham (14), 2024
25 Casey McCluskey (16), Carolyn Riggs (9), 2004
LAST TIME OUT
Match 20 – NCAA Tournament Round of 16
#16 Michigan State (14-2-5, 7-1-3 B1G) at #1 Duke (16-2-1, 9-0-1 ACC)
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 – 6:00 PM (ET) – ESPN+
Durham, N.C. (Koskinen Stadium)
ESPN+ Talent: Zach Berly (PXP), Matt Stradley (Analyst)
NEED TO KNOW
- Looking to book a spot in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, the No. 1 seeded Duke women's soccer team (16-2-1) is set to host NCAA Tournament round of 16 action Sunday, Nov. 24 as the top-ranked Blue Devils face 16th-ranked Michigan State (14-2-5) at 6:00 p.m., inside Koskinen Stadium.
- The winner of Sunday's contest will move on to the NCAA Quarterfinals to play the following weekend against either Virginia Tech or Iowa.
- Duke is looking to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the 10th time since 2011.
- Sunday's contest will be aired live on ESPN+ with Zach Berley (PXP) and Matt Stradley (Analyst) on the call.
- Duke is making its 29th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and enter as a top-16 national seed for the eighth time out of the last nine seasons. It marked the first time in Blue Devil history the squad was the No. 1 overall seed.
- Robbie Church announced on July 22, 2024 he will be retiring at the end of the season. Duke will be promote associate head coach Kieran Hall to head coach in 2025. Current assistant coach Carla Overbeck will move to associate head coach in 2025 as well.
STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES
- In NCAA Tournament matches being played in Durham, N.C., the Blue Devils boast a 30-3-1 record. Duke is 5-0-1 in round of 16 matches played in Durham.
- Maggie Graham has totaled two goals in each of the first two matches of the 2024 NCAAs becoming the first Blue Devil to accomplish it.
- Katie Groff helped lead Duke to the 50th shutout over her last five years on defense.
- Of the 16 teams remaining in the NCAAs, six of them are from the ACC.
- Mia Minestrella tied an NCAA Tournament record with four goals against Howard. She became the 10th player in NCAA history to accomplish the feat, while Texas' Holly Ward became the 11th after Minestrella on Nov. 15. Of the 11 players who have accomplished it, Minestrella is the fourth to do it in her first NCAA contest.
- On the season, Duke has 65 goals by 13 different players. Eleven Blue Devils have totaled two or more goals. Duke has also scored two or more goals in 14 of the past 15 contests.
- Duke currently features a 10-win turnaround from a season ago, which is the second-biggest win difference nationally this season. Stephen F. Austin owns the best in 2024 with a 12-win improvement.
- Mia Oliaro has scored a goal or registered an assist in 11 of the past 12 matches.
- Blue Devil sophomore Mia Oliaro (2, 12) fifth year Ella Hase (2, 12), and junior Devin Lynch (6, 10) all rank in the top six of the ACC in assists and top 16 nationally.
- Duke has scored 65 goals in 19 matches this season, compared to the 15 goals in 16 contests a season ago.
- The last time the Blue Devils dropped a season opener was in 2017. Duke went on to win 19 straight after the loss and made an appearance in the NCAA College Cup.
- Duke was shut out in the season opener for the first time since 2014, which was also a loss to Ohio State (1-0).
- The last time Duke head coach Robbie Church dealt with a losing season was in 2014 and the next year he led the Blue Devils to the 2015 NCAA College Cup.
THE SERIES WITH MICHIGAN STATE
- Duke and Michigan State will meet for the first time in program history.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
- Michigan State enters the contest with a 14-2-5 ledger and is coming off a 3-2 overtime win against Texas in the NCAA Second Round.
- On the year, Meg Hughes (7 goals, 6 assists), Balla Najera (8 goals, 3 assists) and Mackenzie Anthony (6 goals, 4 assists) have paced the Spartans on the year.
DUKE VERSUS THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
- Duke currently holds a 33-23-7 record against teams from the Big Ten Conference -- Illinois (0-1), Indiana (1-0), Maryland (15-12-6), Minnesota (1-0), Nebraska (2-3), Northwestern (1-0), Ohio State (6-1), Penn State (1-4-1), Rutgers (4-1) and Wisconsin (2-1).
FAST START IN 2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT
- Duke has scored 11 goals over the first two NCAA Tournament contests, which is a new school record.
- Maggie Graham and Mia Minestrella each have totaled four goals over the first two matches, which are tied for third for a NCAA Tournament in Duke history.
- Graham is the first Blue Devil to register two goals in each of the first two NCAA Tournament matches. Graham's 10 points over the two matches are tied for the third-most in a NCAA Tournament for Duke.
- Ella Hase owns three assists over the two matches, which is tied for the sixth most for Duke in a NCAA Tournament.
- Duke has totaled back-to-back shutouts to open the NCAA Tournament, which marks the first two shutouts in a row for the Blue Devils since early December.
LOOKING AT THE 2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT STATS
- Duke's goal differential (11), points (34), assists (12) and goals (11) rank first in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are tied with Florida State in goals (11).
- Ella Hase's three assists rank tied for first, while Phoebe Goldthwaite and Mia Minestrella are tied for third with two assists.
- Maggie Graham and Minestrella rank second with four goals.
- Minestrella leads the field with 10 points, while Graham is third with eight points.
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
- The Blue Devils are competing in their 29th all-time NCAA Championship and hold a 50-24-11 overall record in 85 tournament matches.
- The Blue Devils are 43-17-10 under Robbie Church in the NCAA Championship. He has led Duke to the big dance in 21 of his 24 seasons in Durham.
- Duke has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship nine times over the past 13 seasons (since 2011).
NCAA quarterfinal appearances since 2011
Rk Team Appearances (last)
1. Florida State 11 (2023)
2. Duke 9 (2022)
3. Stanford 8 (2023)
North Carolina 8 (2023)
5. UCLA 7 (2022)
6. Virginia 6 (2022)
Penn State 6 (2023)
PLAYING AT HOME IN THE NCAAS
- Duke will look to capitalize on one of the best home-field advantages in the nation provided by Koskinen Stadium.
- The Blue Devils boast a 70-14-10 record at the venue since the start of the 2017 campaign.
- Duke has outscored its opponents 47-5 at home this season. The Blue Devils have totaled program-record 47 goals at home this season, passing the previous mark of 40 from 2017.
- Duke is 30-3-1 in NCAA Championship matches played in Durham.
- Mia Minestrella owns a team-high 10 goals at Koskinen, while Maggie Graham has nine. Mia Oliaro owns six and Devin Lynch has totaled four on the year.
- Duke is averaging 4.3 goals per game at home this season and has scored three or more in 10 of the 11 matches.
ROBBIE CHURCH IN FINAL NCAAS
- Duke head coach Robbie Church is competing in his 21st NCAA Tournament with the Blue Devils and 22nd overall as a head coach.
- He owns a 43-17-10 ledger for a 68.6 winning percentage in those games.
- Church has collected an impressive 32-3-1 record in NCAA matches played in Durham. Duke has outscored opponents by a 103-18 ledger in those matches.
- Church's 22 NCAA appearances rank tied for ninth nationally behind Anson Dorrance (42, North Carolina), Jerry Smith (34, Santa Clara), Len Tsantiris (31, UConn), Steve Swanson (29, Virginia), G Guerrieri (28, Texas A&M), Jennifer Rockwood (25, BYU), Tony da Luz (23, Wake Forest), Nikki Izzo-Brown (23, West Virginia), Robbie Church (22, Duke), Paul Ratcliffe (22, Stanford).
- Church's 44 NCAA Tournament wins rank eighth among all-time coaches.
RECORD WATCH
- Duke has now scored 47 goals at home this season, which snapped the Blue Devils' previous mark of 40 from the 2017 campaign.
- The Blue Devils are approaching a few other Duke records as well --
MOST POINTS IN A SEASON
1. 2012 (65 goals, 77 assists) 207
2. 2024 (62 goals, 71 assists) 205
3. 2004 (65 goals, 73 assists) 203
MOST GOALS IN A SEASON
1. 1989 67
2. 2012 65
2004 65
2024 65
MOST ASSISTS IN A SEASON
1. 2012 77
2. 2024 75
3. 2004 73
MULTIPLE DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS
- For only the second time in program history, Duke features three players with 10 or more assists on the season -- Mia Oliaro (12), Ella Hase (12) and Devin Lynch (10).
- Other seasons with multiple players with 10-plus assists were 2017 (Imani Dorsey, Ella Stevens), 2012 (Laura Weinberg, Cassie Pecht, Gilda Doria) and 2004 (Rebecca Moros, Carolyn Ford).
SCORING TANDEMS
- The Duke duo of Mia Minestrella and Maggie Graham currently rank as the tied for fifth-highest scoring tandem in Blue Devil history with 26 goals combined.
TOP SCORING TANDEMS IN DUKE HISTORY
32 Laura Weinberg (16), Kim DeCesare (16), 2012
31 Michelle Cooper (19), Kat Rader (12), 2022
28 Imani Dorsey (14), Kayla McCoy (14), 2017
27 KayAnne Gummersall (15), Elisabeth Redmond (12), 2008
26 Kelly Walbert (18), Andi Melde (8), 1994
26 Mia Minestrella (12), Maggie Graham (14), 2024
25 Casey McCluskey (16), Carolyn Riggs (9), 2004
LAST TIME OUT
- The Blue Devils registered a goal with 68 seconds remaining in the first half and went on to defeat No. 17 Texas Tech, 3-0, in the NCAA second round.
- Duke scored a goal in the first half for the 17th time out of 19 matches this season, including seven straight.
- Maggie Graham collected a pair of goals for the second consecutive match, while Mia Oliaro added her eighth goal of the season late in the contest.
- Graham registered her team-best 13th and 14th goals of the season and fourth of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. She is the sixth Blue Devil to register four or more goals in a NCAA Tournament.
- Graham collected her fifth career multi-goal performance and third of the season. She also notched her eighth career game-winning goal, which is now tied for 17th on Duke's all-time charts.
- Ella Hase collected her tied for team-best 12th assist of the season in the second half.
- Duke's three goals on Texas Tech marked the first time the Red Raiders have allowed three goals in a match since 2021.
- The Blue Devils totaled 11 goals in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, which is a new program record.
- Oliaro has now scored or assisted in 11 out of the last 12 matches.
- In goal, Leah Freeman collected her 28th career shutout and the Blue Devils now own 10 on the season as a team.
Players Mentioned
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