Despite twice building two-goal leads, Duke lost to Northwestern 12-7 in the NCAA quarterfinals Monday in Evanston, Ill., ending their season.
The seventh-seeded Blue Devils (12-7) quickly got on the scoreboard as Amanda Jones and Makenzie Hommel netted shots to begin the game. Although the second-seeded Wildcats (19-2) tied the game with back-to-back goals, Duke went back ahead with two goals in a span of 35 seconds. That 4-2 score marked the high point for the Blue Devils, however, with Northwestern notching five consecutive goals to build a 7-4 lead.
Erin Fitzgerald recorded a game-high six goals and Shannon Smith added three with seven different players getting on the scoreboard for the Wildcats by the end of the game. Freshman Taylor Trimble and sophomore Maddy Morrissey paced Duke with two goals each. Trimble finished the season with 28 goals, leading the team.
The Blue Devils averaged 11.4 goals per game on the season, but were kept in check both times they faced Northwestern, which ranks second in Division I only allowing 7.6 goals per game. When the two teams played during the regular season, the Wildcats won 12-5.
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