This wasn’t how it was supposed to go for the Blue Devils.
Despite losing three starters in ACC play, Duke had put itself in position for the third ACC regular season title in program history heading into the last two weeks of the regular season. Even after losing at then-No. 9 Florida State, a home win against No. 14 Clemson would have given the Blue Devils the top seed in the ACC tournament.
But instead of No. 6 Duke scoring an early goal to grab momentum, it was the Tigers who celebrated on a rain-soaked night at Koskinen Stadium.
Clemson scored in the fifth minute off a corner kick then focused on stopping the Blue Devil offense on its way to a 1-0 win for a share of the ACC regular season crown. Duke’s second loss in its last three games means the Blue Devils will be the No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament and face a rematch with the Seminoles at home Sunday—a far cry from where Duke thought it would be to start the postseason.
Tiger junior midfielder Shannon Hogan set up the goal that doomed the Blue Devils in the fifth minute when she lofted a ball to the far post. Sophomore midfielder Sam Staab won the header while battling for position with a Duke defender. The looping shot then carried over the head of Blue Devil goalkeeper EJ Procter and all defender Morgan Reid could do standing on the goal line was head the ball up into the top of the net.
“Anytime you have an early goal it changes things,” Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church said. “It gives you a cushion obviously, it gives you confidence, it sets the other team back on the back foot.”
Clemson (13-3-2, 7-1-2 in the ACC) dominated the action throughout the first half, setting up shop in Blue Devil territory for long stretches and creating numerous chances. The Tigers rank second nationally in points per game and showed why with a commanding offensive performance.
The second half was a much different game, as the Tigers were content to sit back and defend in front of their own net. The Blue Devils dominated possession but Clemson focused on getting the ball away from the box rather than playing aggressively as it did early on.
That strategy, combined with the intermittent rain that came down, turned the game into a sloppy affair after halftime as neither side could create any dangerous chances. Duke (12-4-2, 7-2-1) racked up plenty of shots in its bid to equalize, ultimately outshooting the Tigers 15-5, but was unable to get any real penetration. Clemson senior goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was barely bothered in net, only having to make one tough save in the first half to preserve the shutout.
“There were so many numbers behind the ball,” Church said. “There’s not a lot of space to play.... We’ve got to figure out in the final third exactly what we’re doing. We’re not as good as we need to be in that area to play at a championship level.”
The Blue Devils’ best scoring opportunity all game came near the end of the first half when senior Tori Payne slipped a through ball between two Clemson defenders to an onrushing Imani Dorsey on the right side of the box, putting Dorsey one on one with the goalie. The junior fired a shot to the near post, but Sheridan made a diving stop to push the ball out of play for a corner.
Senior co-captain Christina Gibbons was the only consistently dangerous player for Duke, racking up three shots as well as numerous crosses driven into the box, but the Blue Devils could not get on the end of any of them to trouble the keeper. Duke finally looked like a team playing without two sophomore starters in Taylor Racioppi and Kayla McCoy—McCoy is out for the season, and Racioppi has been out with a lower-leg injury.
“Christina has such a big heart,” Church said. “She plays as hard as she possibly can. We’d love to have a bunch of those.”
The Blue Devil offense will look to get back on track after getting shut out 1-0 by Florida State last week, and Proctor and company will look to avoid any more lapses entering the postseason. Duke’s junior goalkeeper did not face many shots after the first goal, though she made one key save in the 14th minute when second-team All-ACC forward Catrina Atanta smashed a volley toward the near post.
But once again, one goal was enough to best the Blue Devils, who were shut out four times during the regular season and have to regroup quickly. Duke has never won the ACC tournament, and is hoping to get back to the Final Four when the NCAA tournament gets underway in a few weeks.
“I’m not overly happy where we are right now,” Church said. “The players have to look at each other and decide going forward on Sunday.... Unfortunately, this championship is over and we have to move forward for another championship.”
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