Coming off a 0-0 draw against Louisville and having scored only nine goals in its last 15 games, Duke’s offense entered Sunday hoping to step up its level of play.
Mission accomplished.
The No. 7 Blue Devils dominated No. 19 Virginia Tech 4-0 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va., snapping a three-game losing streak against the Hokies and giving Duke its best start to ACC play since 2011, when the Blue Devils reached the national championship game. Duke scored early and often, including two goals from junior Imani Dorsey, a penalty kick by senior Christina Gibbons in the 13th minute and a strike by freshman Ella Stevens 30 seconds into the second half.
“[It was] one of the most complete efforts that we’ve had all year, both offensively and defensively,” Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church said. “For us to go through two ACC games, one at home, one on the road without giving up a goal, and get four out of a possible six points, that was great.”
One of Duke’s main goals Sunday was to convert possession into close-range scoring opportunities. Against the Cardinals, the Blue Devils frequently settled for shots outside the penalty box rather than attacking the goal either down the wings or with through balls.
Duke altered things on the road and was rewarded quickly, when senior Toni Payne sent a ball toward sophomore Taylor Racioppi near the goal. Virginia Tech goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn took down Racioppi, giving the Blue Devils a penalty kick that Gibbons converted for her second score of the year.
Rather than playing conservatively to preserve its lead, Duke (7-2-2, 2-0-1 in the ACC) pressed on and found the back of the net two minutes later. Stevens fed Dorsey for a breakaway, and the Elkridge, Md., native—who now leads the team with five goals this year—beat McGlynn for the Blue Devils’ first two-goal lead of the year against a ranked opponent.
Virginia Tech (8-4, 0-3) fought back with six shots in the first half to match Duke’s shot total during the first 45 minutes. But junior goalkeeper E.J. Proctor made two saves in the frame to preserve the cushion, part of her 16th shutout effort—a total that ranks tied for fourth in program history.
“We’ve given up way too many goals,” Church said of a defense that ranked 102nd in the nation entering the weekend in goals allowed per game. “E.J. made a really nice save to give us the shutout.”
Coming out of halftime, Dorsey fired another shot at McGlynn, who this time did enough to keep it from going in. But Stevens was right there for the putback to notch her fourth goal of the year.
“We’re a veteran group, we understand that this is a 90-minute game, not a 45-minute game,” Church said. “I don’t think we’ve come out of the locker room great in the second half, but we came out really, really well.”
Dorsey scored her second goal of the afternoon in the 61st minute off of a beautiful work of passing. Payne and Gibbons executed a give-and-go, and Payne then crossed the ball in for the junior, who recorded the first two-goal performance of her career.
With the Blue Devils firmly in control for much of the match, they were able to rest their starters. Payne played only 59 minutes Sunday after looking fatigued Thursday night, and now has four assists this year.
The four goals are the most Duke has scored against a Power 5 opponent this season, providing a confidence boost for an offense that returns most of its players from last year but lost sophomore striker Kayla McCoy for the year with an Achilles injury Sept. 17 against Boston College. It is also a reminder of how far the team has come from last year, when the Hokies went up on Duke 4-0 before the Blue Devils scored two late goals.
Duke found success without senior midfielder Rebecca Quinn, who missed her second straight game and fourth in three weeks. She was dealing with a back injury earlier in the year, and now is battling turf toe.
“Hopefully she’ll be back on the practice field next week,” Church said.
With only seven games remaining in the regular season, Duke will host Syracuse Sunday—one of three straight matchups against unranked conference opponents.
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