Goodwin’s Career Night, Fourth-Quarter Surge Power No. 16 Duke to 17-13 Win at Elon

Monday, March 23

Elon, NC

5 PM

Duke University

8-4

Elon

4-5

Duke

Elon

Goodwin’s Career Night, Fourth-Quarter Surge Power No. 16 Duke to 17-13 Win at Elon

3/23/2026 10:01:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

ELON, N.C. – A career night by junior Bella Goodwin and a fourth-quarter surge powered 16th-ranked Duke (8-4) to a 17-13 victory over Elon (4-5) in non-conference women's lacrosse action Monday evening.

After the Phoenix knotted the score at 12-12 early in the fourth, the Blue Devils flipped the switch with a dominant stretch in the final period. Duke's defense constricted the Elon attack and held the home team without a goal for over 12 minutes, while the Blue Devils scored four consecutive goals to open a four-point cushion and grab complete control of the game.

Goodwin netted a career-high seven goals to pace the Duke offense that featured six different scorers. Sophomore Avery Doran also recorded a hat trick with four markers on the day, while redshirt juniors Ava Biancardi and Eva Pronti each tallied braces. Pronti added a season-best six assists to her stat line and finished with a team-high eight points, with sophomore Sadie Stafford aiding the distribution efforts with a collegiate-best three dimes.

Ellie White turned in another stellar performance at the draw circle with the junior totaling 15 draw controls. Senior Sydney Smith had a solid all-around performance tying a career high with three ground balls to go with a caused turnover. Junior Caitlin Barrett, Goodwin and sophomore Amanda Paci each scooped up two ground balls, while redshirt freshman Hope Schoudel posted six saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Doran put the Blue Devils on the board less than three minutes into the first, firing a rocket into the back of the cage off Pronti's dime.
After an Elon response at the 10:35 mark, Duke reclaimed a two-goal edge on back-to-back strikes by Goodwin – the goals assisted by Pronti and sophomore Mabel Overbeck, respectively.
The Phoenix produced the game's next two scores to draw even at 3-3 late in the opening period, but Stafford found rookie Quinn Whitaker for a tally with just 20 seconds remaining to give the visitors a 4-3 lead at the end of one.
Offense was the story of the second quarter as the teams combined for eight goals during the 15-minute session. A four-goal spurt by Duke to begin the period gave the Blue Devils a six-point advantage, 8-3, with 9:09 to play in the opening half.
Duke featured four different goal scorers during the run – Goodwin, Doran, Biancardi and Pronti – while Stafford and graduate student McKenzie Olsen provided assists on two of the tallies. Doran cashed in her second of the quarter a couple minutes later to give Duke nine first-half goals.
Elon found the back of the net with 8:21 to briefly halt the Duke momentum, but Doran answered less than a minute later with a free position goal to make it a 9-4 game.
The Phoenix managed to add two more late in the frame, cutting the Blue Devil advantage to 9-6 at the half.
Duke and Elon traded goals to start the third with the Blue Devils' coming via Goodwin and Biancardi – the assists provided by Stafford and Pronti, respectively.
The Phoenix refused to go away, using a three-goal run to level the score at 11-11.
Duke reclaimed the lead with a tally late in the third, as Whitaker found freshman Caroline Doyle for a strike and a 12-11 Blue Devil lead.
Elon found the equalizer early in the fourth quarter, knotting the ballgame at 12 apiece on a man-up goal just 40 seconds in.
It was all Duke from that point on as the Blue Devils scored four unanswered to stretch a 16-12 lead with five minutes left in regulation. Two tallies by Goodwin bookended the spurt while Doran and Pronti netted one goal each. All four markers during the 4-0 run were assisted with Pronti dishing three dimes and Biancardi providing one.
The Phoenix ended their 12-minute scoring drought with a goal at the 2:04 mark.
Goodwin's seventh tally of the night with 34 seconds remaining put the finishing touches on the victory.

NOTES:

Duke improves to 8-4 overall, while Elon falls to 4-5.
The Blue Devils increase their lead in the all-time series to 8-1 and are now 5-0 on the road.
Head coach Kerstin Kimel earns her 372nd career victory and 368th at Duke.
Duke's 17 goals are tied for the second most this season, matching the 17 put up in the win over Boston College (Mar. 4). Duke's season high is 18, which came against East Carolina (Feb. 23).
Duke totaled season highs in points (31) and assists (14).
Bella Goodwin scored a career-high seven goals and matched collegiate bests in points (7) and ground balls (2). It marks her third hat trick and seventh multi-goal effort of the year.
Avery Doran logged her eighth hat trick of the season and third in the last four outings with her four tallies against the Phoenix.
With her two goals against the Phoenix, Ava Biancardi reached 50 career markers.
Eva Pronti tied a career-high eight points on two goals and six assists – the latter one off her own school single-game record. It marks Pronti's fourth consecutive game and sixth outing this season dishing four or more helpers.
Ellie White finished the evening with 15 wins at the draw circle to record her seventh double-digit draw control game of the season. The 15 draw controls are one shy of her career high (16) produced against East Carolina earlier this season.
Sadie Stafford turned in a career-high three assists.
Sydney Smith matched her collegiate best with three ground balls.
Quinn Whitaker dished out a career-high two assists.

UP NEXT:
Duke returns to conference action to close out its three-game road trip, traveling to Tallahassee, Florida, to face ACC newcomer Florida State Sunday, Mar. 29. Opening draw is set for noon, with the game streaming live on ACCNX.

For more information on Duke women's lacrosse, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeWLAX."

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