Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Miami on September 14, 2025 at 1 p.m.
/
1 p.m.
Women's Soccer
at Miami
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Women's Soccer Enters 2025 with Renewed Leadership & High Expectations
8/14/2025 11:24:00 AM | Women's Soccer
A product of Roswell, Ga., Riley Jackson is in her second season with the North Carolina Courage. Once a Duke women's soccer commit, Jackson signed with the Courage during high school as a 17-year-old. Jackson is a former No. 1 ranked recruit nationally and was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jackson will be a contributing writer during the 2025 season for the Blue Devils telling stories of the Duke women's soccer program. Overview:
Â
DURHAM, N.C.-- With the start of the 2025 season rapidly approaching, anticipation continues to grow around the Duke women's soccer program. Following a standout 2024 campaign that finished in a national semifinal appearance, the preseason fourth-ranked Blue Devils are poised to build on their recent success. The path back to the NCAA College Cup in the upcoming season marks a period of transition for the program, highlighted by the introduction of a new head coach, Kieran Hall - only the second to lead the team in a quarter century. Including the changes in leadership, the roster will feature a number of new additions, demonstrating a broader evolution within the squad. Despite the turnover, Duke retains several key contributors from last season, brought in highly-ranked recruits and the program's culture of excellence remains intact. With a firm foundation and a fresh sense of purpose, the Blue Devils enter the 2025 campaign with much optimism.
Â
In 2024, during his 24th and final year as the Duke women's soccer head coach, Robbie Church along with Hall and the other staff, led the Blue Devils to one of the most successful and memorable seasons in program history, including an 18-3-1 overall record, a 9-0-1 conference record culminating in the ACC regular season championship and a No. 1 ranking going into the NCAA Tournament. The remarkable season, and Church's career, ended in the College Cup semifinals. The Blue Devils have lofty goals to surpass the success of the 2024 squad and make it back to the NCAA College Cup. Â
Â
Exciting Change, Lasting Legacy:
Â
Looking ahead to the start of the 2025 season, the Blue Devils seek to build on the success of last year's team and the legacy that Church built. Hall's goal includes leading the team to success by maintaining the values and standards by which the program is known.
Â
"We think culture is our x-factor," commented Hall on what he will take from his previous experience coaching alongside Church. "Performances will fluctuate. You always strive to perform well, but you're going to have tough days, and if you have a strong culture and strong values within the program, you can always fall back to that and rely upon it."
Â
The players have shown respect and enthusiasm for what Hall has brought to the team in his new role. Senior Devin Lynch, a key member of the 2024 squad, reflected on the coaching transition.
Â
"Obviously, there is something different that he is adding, but I think he's still driving the same culture that Robbie had - and that Duke women's soccer has always had," Lynch said.
Â
Â
Fresh Faces, Fierce Intent:
Â
After several key departures following the 2024 season,
Â
Featuring seven new faces, Hall expressed excitement about his young roster.
"Our freshman class has received a lot of notoriety," said Hall. "I am extremely confident and we are very excited based on what we have seen."
Â
The young class, ranked No. 3 nationally, boasts players with notable experience representing the U.S. youth national teams and remarkable success in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Among them are Avery Oder, Kaylee Kim, Kosette Koons-Perdikis, Jocelyn Travers, Daya King, Lexi Coughlin, and Molly Vapensky. The group featured five student-athletes ranked in the top-35 of the TopDrawerSoccer class of 2025 rankings.Â
Â
"I think it's really exciting," commented redshirt junior Kat Rader on what her assessment of this year's team is. "We're obviously a young team. We're a different team from last year. We lost a lot of starters, some big players for us, but it's really exciting. I think we're going to be a team that people don't really know what to expect, because we have a lot of new faces, but I'm really excited to be a part of this team. We have a lot of momentum, and we have a great mindset. I think as a team, that's something we've really been working on this preseason. It's just like our mentality and our grit."
Â
While including highly-touted freshman class, the 2025 roster also boasts several important returners, including seven starters from last season and multiple key players back from injury. Mia Minestrella, Mia Oliaro and Cameron Roller were tabbed to the 14-person Preseason All-ACC team. Roller (Defender), Oliaro (Midfielder) and Rader (Forward) also received United Soccer Coaches preseason recognition on its players to watch lists for different positions.Â
Â
After not scoring in her first year with the squad, Minestrella came up big in her second season, leading the team in scoring with 12 goals alongside Maggie Graham, who scored 14 goals in 2024 and now plays for the Houston Dash of the NWSL. Other returning starters include Lynch, Carina Lageyre and Farrah Walters, all of whom are expected to play important roles in 2025.
Â
Players returning from injury include Rader and Elle Piper, who only played five games combined in 2024. Both are veteran players looking to make their mark on this 2025 season. Also returning to the pitch is midfielder Lauren Martinho, the nation's top-ranked player in the 2024 class, who will make her Blue Devil debut after missing last season with a torn ACL.
Â
"There is a sense of unfinished business that we are carrying into this year," said Lynch. "We are relentless. We are resilient. We go into every single practice wanting to get better and pushing each other to get better, which is what we were last year, and what we are going to continue to do this year. It is important to make sure the seven new freshmen are bought in as well"
Â
Starting Strong:
Â
The fourth-ranked Blue Devils will kick off the season inside Koskinen Stadium on Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m., as they face 11th-ranked Penn State live on ACC Network Extra. Duke will be looking to make a statement in its first match of the season.
Â
Thursday evening will be a great test for the team after some hard-fought exhibition games during preseason camp. In addition to their methodical, possession-based style of play, the Blue Devils are adding a layer to their game found in their mentality and relentlessness out of possession, looking to force teams into mistakes and take advantage of opportunities in transition.
Â
"We have to be really good out of possession and difficult to beat," said Hall. "We want to be really aggressive with how we press. We want to be fast and furious once we win the ball."
Â
With a challenging schedule ahead, Hall's squad will be tested consistently throughout the season. Early highlights include exciting matchups against sixth-ranked Arkansas on the road and Alabama at home before diving into the heart of ACC play.
Â
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's SoccerKieran Hall Postgame Vs. Virginia
Friday, September 12
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. Alabama
Sunday, September 07
Kat Rader Postgame Vs. VMI
Thursday, September 04
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. VMI
Thursday, September 04
