It's not every day you're outshot 33-3 and only lose by a goal.
But the 14th-ranked women's soccer team did just that Saturday as it fell to No. 5 Connecticut, 3-2, at this weekend's UConn Classic. Sunday's contest against unranked Rutgers was a bit more balanced statistically, but the Blue Devils (2-1) cruised to a relatively easy 2-0 win.
The Huskies (3-0) dominated the entire game on the field but could not put Duke away on the scoreboard. Blue Devil goalie Dana Piper stopped nine shots and saw a few more ricochet off the posts. Along with its 33 shots, UConn had nine corner kicks but could only convert on one of them.
In the 11th minute, Emily Feeney opened up the scoring, converting a Kari Juncker feed into a six-yard goal. It was the only shot the Blue Devils took in the first half.
The Huskies tied it up before halftime on a three-yard unassisted score after a scramble in front of the net. In the second half, UConn sophomore Jen Carlson tallied the next two goals, giving the Huskies a 3-1 lead.
Carlson's first goal came 11 minutes into the second half and just after two Connecticut shots hit the post. Her second goal came in similar fashion, as Mary-Frances Monroe took a rebound off the post and fed it to Carlson for an eight-yarder.
Duke doubled its shot attempts in the second half-that's still just two-and was able to score on a Kristy Whelchel penalty kick in the 74th minute. But the Blue Devils could not find the back of the net again.
For Sunday's game, coach Bill Hempen made a few changes to his lineup. Sherrill Kester, who surprisingly did not start against UConn, was reinserted as a starter. Also, freshman Katie Heaps was brought in as a starter in hopes she could solidify the defense.
The biggest change, however, was the opponent. Rutgers (0-2-1), simply put, does not play at the same level as Connecticut. As a result, Duke was able to jump out to a quick lead and hold on to a 2-0 win.
In the 12th minute, Kester hit a crossing pass that Feeney was able to put in from about 15 yards. Feeney leads the team in scoring and has now scored in each of Duke's three games this season. Nine minutes later, Whelchel scored for the second time in the tournament, knocking in a header off a Kim Daws crossing pass.
The Blue Devils outshot the Scarlet Knights 14-5 and successfully stopped five Rutgers corner kicks.
Last year's ACC rookie of the year, goaltender Isis Dallis, saw her first 10 minutes of action at the end of the game. She had missed the Blue Devils' earlier contests recovering from a strained MCL. She did not record any saves.
Duke competes in another tournament next weekend, this time in Chapel Hill. At least for now the Blue Devils are spared from facing the top-ranked Tar Heels but will have to deal with No. 4 Notre Dame and ninth-ranked Hartford.
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