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
Church Heads to the Beach Leaving Impressive Legacy Behind
12/17/2024 9:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C.— What a way to go out for one of the good guys of the sport – a NCAA College Cup appearance, ACC Regular Season Championship, No. 1 national ranking for the last two months of the season, many school-records broken and an overall tremendous ride in 2024.
When Duke women's soccer head coach Robbie Church announced his retirement in July, everyone wanted him to head off to the beach on a high note and that is what the Blue Devils did this past season.
Duke collected an 18-3-1 overall ledger, registered just the fourth ACC Regular Season title with a very impressive 9-0-1 record, posted a 12-match winning streak and 15-match unbeaten streak, advanced to the NCAA College Cup for the fifth time in program lore, broke school records for goals, points and assists and the list can go on and on.
In a coaching career spanning 39 years across men's and women's soccer, Church accumulated an impressive overall record of 311-150-67 record at Duke and a 398-199-78 overall career as a women's head coach.
Coming off a season where the Blue Devils didn't make the NCAA Tournament and scored only 15 goals, Church, the staff and the team as a whole were determined to get back to the Duke standard of excellence in 2024. With the addition of some quality transfers, impressive freshmen, return of Maggie Graham, Nicky Chico and Katie Groff for their COVID seasons and a commitment from the entire team to work even harder than before to get back into the limelight – Duke stormed back onto the national scene and were a force to be reckoned with this past season.
"We had a heck of a year, an unbelievable year. These young ladies gave this old man so much fun. It was so great to be around this group, they worked so hard all year long and I enjoyed every minute," reflected Church. "It was very blessed in my final season here, I enjoyed every single minute. I'm very proud of them, I love them to death."
Upon reflecting on an incredible year, the Blue Devils ended their season with school records in points (215), goals (68), and assists (79). Duke totaled 17 matches with two or more goals, had had 12 in a row with two or more goals and scored a goal in the first half in 19 out of 22 contests.
The Blue Devils collected a 12-win overall turnaround from the season before, which ranked tied for first nationally and the 7-win turnaround in ACC action was tied for first in ACC history.
Duke's defense was solid as well during the season allowing only 13 goals over the first 21 matches, including zero goals over the first four matches of the NCAA Tournament. The 12 shutouts on the year ranked tied for sixth in the Blue Devil record book.
The honors rolled in during the season as well – four Blue Devils were named All-American with Graham, Hannah Bebar, Leah Freeman and Cameron Roller, Graham was tabbed ACC Midfielder of the Year, Roller earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Freeman was selected ACC Goalkeeper of the Year and Church picked up his third ACC Coach of the Year honor. Graham was also tabbed a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist and Honda Sports Award finalist. Duke not only was impressive on the pitch, but also in the classroom as Graham, Bebar, Freeman and Roller were named Academic All-America as well.
Graham, a graduate student from Atlanta, Ga., echoed Church's sentiments, expressing gratitude for his mentorship. The midfielder had a standout season with the Blue Devils, leading the team with 14 goals, five assists, and 33 points.
Playing under Coach Church for the past five seasons, three of which were next to her older sister Delaney. Graham knows how truly special it is to have been a part of the Church legacy.
"I remember thinking Robbie (Church) was such a great guy and such a great coach, and he valued players as people. That's one of the things that my family as a whole has always loved about him, because he's had both me and my sister."
For the past 24 seasons, when people think of Duke women's soccer, they immediately think of Church, who has built the program into what it is today.
Church led the Blue Devils to 21 NCAA Championship appearances, advancing to the round of 16 on 14 occasions, the quarterfinals 12 times, and the NCAA College Cup four times (2011, 2015, 2017, and 2024). Named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year, Church led his teams to 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, compiling a 46-19-10 record on the national stage.
All season, Graham could not stop singing Church praises as did most of her teammates, saying:
"He is Duke. He is the team. I think a lot of that gets overlooked and he just likes to be humble and likes to say we're not doing it for him. But, a lot of us felt that extra chip on our shoulder that we really wanted to make it special for him."
Although the retirement of Church comes with a bittersweet ending, Graham and her teammates stressed the importance of understanding that having Church in your life does not serve as a temporary event, rather a long-term commitment to his team and players no matter where they end up.
"I know Robbie (Church) is going to be in my corner probably for the rest of my life. He develops a relationship with you off the field that he knows is going to last forever, and I've got to develop that relationship over five years, so I'm pretty lucky, but I just know that he's always going be there for me and every girl on the team."
No matter if players had been with Church for one season or five, being welcomed in with open arms is the norm.
For graduate transfer and midfielder Hannah Bebar, knowing Church for one season felt like a lifetime and to learn under him felt like the greatest opportunity in her career.
"From the first time I met him, he was immediately welcoming me onto the team, and knew that I could make an impact here, and believed in me," said Bebar. "He supported me on and off the field and I can't thank him enough for giving me this opportunity."
Another fellow transfer, sophomore forward Mia Oliaro, echoed this sentiment, explaining that what he taught the Blue Devils off the field was just as important as what they learned on the field.
That mainly accepting everyone for who they are, while pushing everyone to embrace their unique qualities and grow in confidence. As the team continues to move forward, it's important in Church's eyes that everyone feels accepted and has the resources and support to be their best selves. Having ingrained this mentality onto the team, it's deemed crucial to continue to carry it forward.
"He (Church) has taught all of us so much, whether that's how to just be a good person and really care for one another. I think that's something that, especially for the new freshmen coming in, just to show them we are all part of this Duke family, and we're looking out for you, whether that's on the field or off the field making sure that every single person is taken care of," explained Oliaro. "Robbie (Church) is very passionate, and just bringing that positivity and that passion every single day and everything that you do, and really just pouring your all into it and showing that if you're here to do something, you're going to do it to the best of your ability, and you're going to do it until the final whistle, the final minute, the final like action. I think that's something that he really harps on. Continuing to just build upon that culture of, you know, excellence, and making sure that every single person is given the chance to be the best version of themselves."
With Church's departure, the program will transition under the guidance of new head coach Kieran Hall and associate head coach Carla Overbeck. Church voiced confidence in Hall's ability to lead the Blue Devils to continued success.
"The future of Duke soccer with Kieran Hall and Carla Overbeck shows the future of Duke soccer is going to be very strong. They're going to take this program to new heights and do an absolutely fantastic job."
Hall and Overbeck will feature a lot of momentum heading into their first season together leading the Blue Devils coming off the very successful 2024 campaign and bringing in the top-rated recruiting class nationally in 2025.
As Church steps away, his legacy as a transformative figure in college soccer remains intact. His impact extends far beyond the pitch, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of his players and the Duke community.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
When Duke women's soccer head coach Robbie Church announced his retirement in July, everyone wanted him to head off to the beach on a high note and that is what the Blue Devils did this past season.
Duke collected an 18-3-1 overall ledger, registered just the fourth ACC Regular Season title with a very impressive 9-0-1 record, posted a 12-match winning streak and 15-match unbeaten streak, advanced to the NCAA College Cup for the fifth time in program lore, broke school records for goals, points and assists and the list can go on and on.
In a coaching career spanning 39 years across men's and women's soccer, Church accumulated an impressive overall record of 311-150-67 record at Duke and a 398-199-78 overall career as a women's head coach.
Coming off a season where the Blue Devils didn't make the NCAA Tournament and scored only 15 goals, Church, the staff and the team as a whole were determined to get back to the Duke standard of excellence in 2024. With the addition of some quality transfers, impressive freshmen, return of Maggie Graham, Nicky Chico and Katie Groff for their COVID seasons and a commitment from the entire team to work even harder than before to get back into the limelight – Duke stormed back onto the national scene and were a force to be reckoned with this past season.
"We had a heck of a year, an unbelievable year. These young ladies gave this old man so much fun. It was so great to be around this group, they worked so hard all year long and I enjoyed every minute," reflected Church. "It was very blessed in my final season here, I enjoyed every single minute. I'm very proud of them, I love them to death."
Upon reflecting on an incredible year, the Blue Devils ended their season with school records in points (215), goals (68), and assists (79). Duke totaled 17 matches with two or more goals, had had 12 in a row with two or more goals and scored a goal in the first half in 19 out of 22 contests.
The Blue Devils collected a 12-win overall turnaround from the season before, which ranked tied for first nationally and the 7-win turnaround in ACC action was tied for first in ACC history.
Duke's defense was solid as well during the season allowing only 13 goals over the first 21 matches, including zero goals over the first four matches of the NCAA Tournament. The 12 shutouts on the year ranked tied for sixth in the Blue Devil record book.
The honors rolled in during the season as well – four Blue Devils were named All-American with Graham, Hannah Bebar, Leah Freeman and Cameron Roller, Graham was tabbed ACC Midfielder of the Year, Roller earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Freeman was selected ACC Goalkeeper of the Year and Church picked up his third ACC Coach of the Year honor. Graham was also tabbed a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist and Honda Sports Award finalist. Duke not only was impressive on the pitch, but also in the classroom as Graham, Bebar, Freeman and Roller were named Academic All-America as well.
Graham, a graduate student from Atlanta, Ga., echoed Church's sentiments, expressing gratitude for his mentorship. The midfielder had a standout season with the Blue Devils, leading the team with 14 goals, five assists, and 33 points.
Playing under Coach Church for the past five seasons, three of which were next to her older sister Delaney. Graham knows how truly special it is to have been a part of the Church legacy.
"I remember thinking Robbie (Church) was such a great guy and such a great coach, and he valued players as people. That's one of the things that my family as a whole has always loved about him, because he's had both me and my sister."
For the past 24 seasons, when people think of Duke women's soccer, they immediately think of Church, who has built the program into what it is today.
Church led the Blue Devils to 21 NCAA Championship appearances, advancing to the round of 16 on 14 occasions, the quarterfinals 12 times, and the NCAA College Cup four times (2011, 2015, 2017, and 2024). Named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year, Church led his teams to 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, compiling a 46-19-10 record on the national stage.
All season, Graham could not stop singing Church praises as did most of her teammates, saying:
"He is Duke. He is the team. I think a lot of that gets overlooked and he just likes to be humble and likes to say we're not doing it for him. But, a lot of us felt that extra chip on our shoulder that we really wanted to make it special for him."
Although the retirement of Church comes with a bittersweet ending, Graham and her teammates stressed the importance of understanding that having Church in your life does not serve as a temporary event, rather a long-term commitment to his team and players no matter where they end up.
"I know Robbie (Church) is going to be in my corner probably for the rest of my life. He develops a relationship with you off the field that he knows is going to last forever, and I've got to develop that relationship over five years, so I'm pretty lucky, but I just know that he's always going be there for me and every girl on the team."
No matter if players had been with Church for one season or five, being welcomed in with open arms is the norm.
For graduate transfer and midfielder Hannah Bebar, knowing Church for one season felt like a lifetime and to learn under him felt like the greatest opportunity in her career.
"From the first time I met him, he was immediately welcoming me onto the team, and knew that I could make an impact here, and believed in me," said Bebar. "He supported me on and off the field and I can't thank him enough for giving me this opportunity."
Another fellow transfer, sophomore forward Mia Oliaro, echoed this sentiment, explaining that what he taught the Blue Devils off the field was just as important as what they learned on the field.
That mainly accepting everyone for who they are, while pushing everyone to embrace their unique qualities and grow in confidence. As the team continues to move forward, it's important in Church's eyes that everyone feels accepted and has the resources and support to be their best selves. Having ingrained this mentality onto the team, it's deemed crucial to continue to carry it forward.
"He (Church) has taught all of us so much, whether that's how to just be a good person and really care for one another. I think that's something that, especially for the new freshmen coming in, just to show them we are all part of this Duke family, and we're looking out for you, whether that's on the field or off the field making sure that every single person is taken care of," explained Oliaro. "Robbie (Church) is very passionate, and just bringing that positivity and that passion every single day and everything that you do, and really just pouring your all into it and showing that if you're here to do something, you're going to do it to the best of your ability, and you're going to do it until the final whistle, the final minute, the final like action. I think that's something that he really harps on. Continuing to just build upon that culture of, you know, excellence, and making sure that every single person is given the chance to be the best version of themselves."
With Church's departure, the program will transition under the guidance of new head coach Kieran Hall and associate head coach Carla Overbeck. Church voiced confidence in Hall's ability to lead the Blue Devils to continued success.
"The future of Duke soccer with Kieran Hall and Carla Overbeck shows the future of Duke soccer is going to be very strong. They're going to take this program to new heights and do an absolutely fantastic job."
Hall and Overbeck will feature a lot of momentum heading into their first season together leading the Blue Devils coming off the very successful 2024 campaign and bringing in the top-rated recruiting class nationally in 2025.
As Church steps away, his legacy as a transformative figure in college soccer remains intact. His impact extends far beyond the pitch, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of his players and the Duke community.
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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