The women's soccer team's new-look defense did its job this weekend, holding the opposition scoreless for just over 180 minutes. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils (7-9-1, 0-5-1 in the ACC), their opponents' defenses held them scoreless for 210 minutes of play. Duke failed to pick up it first ACC win of the year, tying Florida State, 0-0, Friday night and falling to No. 18 Clemson, 2-0, yesterday at Duke Soccer Stadium.
"We're getting our chances," coach Bill Hempen said. "We're just not breaking into the net."
In the 16th minute of the second half during yesterday's game, the Tigers' Jenny Crawford launched a high corner kick that Blue Devil goalie Isis Dallis couldn't reach to punch out. Teammate Beth Keller got her foot on the ball by the left goalpost and sent it into the net for a 1-0 Clemson (12-5, 5-2) lead.
Duke's best chances to tie the score came with about 20 minutes remaining. Katie Heaps crossed the ball in front of the Tiger goal, but forward Kasey Truman couldn't get her foot on it, and Clemson cleared it out of bounds. Off the ensuing throw-in, Sherrill Kester took a shot from outside the penalty box. Tiger goalie Katie Carson stopped it, but couldn't get a handle on the ball, leading to a Blue Devil corner kick.
Duke got two more throw-ins deep in Clemson territory after the corner, as the Tigers continued to clear the ball out of bounds. But Heaps' shot sailed over the goal after the second throw-in and ended the Blue Devils' threat.
"It's the first time we played at such a sustained level for a period of time like that," Hempen said. "I'm just waiting for us to get a break. We need to make our own breaks too, but one of these days something's going to go our way."
The Tigers went ahead 2-0 in the 83rd minute when Alison Burpee beat Eleia Branch down the left side of the field and rifled a low, hard shot past Dallis to put the game out of reach.
The already-depleted Duke defense held off Clemson for over 60 minutes despite playing without starter Stefanie Kraay. A nagging ankle injury sidelined the sophomore just before game time, and Kim Daws, normally a reserve midfielder, started at sweeper. Heaps, a natural midfielder who has been playing fullback this season, also reaggravated a knee injury early in the first half but was back on the field to start the second.
"It's incredible the way we've been able to adjust to that," Dallis said of the defense's injuries. "A lot of teams have one or two defensive sets, but we've had about six different people in different spots. Everyone's just had a good attitude."
Dallis made six saves in the first half Friday night against the Seminoles (6-9-3, 1-4-1) before giving way to Dana Piper, who added five of her own between the second half and two 15-minute overtimes.
Florida State almost ended the contest in the waning seconds of regulation, but Piper punched the ball out of the Blue Devils' end as time expired.
Duke's best chance to score in the extra periods came in the 10th minute of the second overtime. Truman was fouled just outside the left corner of the FSU penalty box, and Daws launched the kick into the pack of players in front of the net. But Mara Brain's shot deflected off a Seminole player to the right of the goal. The Blue Devils then failed to convert on the ensuing corner kick.
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