Thursday tumbles: Duke falters in ACC tourneys

CHAPEL HILL - It was barely 6 p.m.-and seemed way too early-when the shadows crept across the University of North Carolina's Fetzer Field and night fell prematurely on the women's soccer team's once-promising season. The Blue Devils, who opened the season with five wins in six tries, had their postseason hopes all but laid to rest when Maryland's Jackie Mynarski poked home the game-winning goal in the 77th minute of a 2-1 Terrapin victory. The second-seeded Terps (10-8-1) advanced to play Wake Forest in the ACC tournament semifinals, while the No. 8 Blue Devils (12-9) were left to ponder what might have been and perhaps what should have been on an afternoon when Duke held a 14-7 advantage in shots. "We got chances, even a couple of breakaways we didn't finish that we should have," said Sherrill Kester, who scored Duke's lone goal. "It was definitely pretty frustrating." The Terps, held without a shot for the game's first 23 minutes, grabbed a 1-0 lead on their only opportunity of the first half. Sara Gustafson took advantage of a poor clearance and a scramble in the Duke penalty area, poking a loose ball past Duke keeper Isis Dallis in the 24th minute. "That first goal was something we've talked about and worked on all year," Dallis said. "I don't know what percentage of goals have been scored on balls that bounced in the box and stayed too long." The Terps' 1-0 lead held up until the 53rd minute, when a short corner kick found Kester open from 15 yards out. The senior's first shot was blocked by a Maryland defender, but the rebound bounced back to Kester's feet and she buried a second shot inside the far post. Maryland nearly took the lead back moments later on a volley by Emily Janss from 10 yards that eluded a diving Dallis. But the ball spun sideways and rolled wide of the near post by inches. Then it was Duke's turn to misfire. Kester couldn't convert a 61st-minute breakaway, and Kasey Truman caught Terrapin keeper Riki-Ann Serens off her line only to shoot high over the crossbar. Just when it appeared Duke might break through, Serens made the save of the day, punching a one-timer by Kester up and over the bar. "Every time she touched the ball, it was a frightening experience," Maryland coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski said of Kester. "We played well in goal, and obviously our quality of shots was greater." Serens' save seemed to take the life out of the Blue Devils, and the opportunistic Terps took advantage of another chaotic scramble minutes later. Dana Jarzyniecki played a low ball in front of Dallis, who was unable to control the pass. Mynarski snatched the loose ball and put it away for a 2-1 lead and the final margin. "The ball came across the box... and I had to go out and try to get something on it," Dallis said. "I tried to smother it, but it bounced off my chest or my hands and [Mynarski] was in perfect position to put it away." Coach Bill Hempen's Blue Devils must now wait and see if victories over five ranked opponents are enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. "We had a good end to the season and came into the tournament very positive, thinking we could get to the final," Hempen said. "I would hope that between the schedule we play and the wins we have-although we have some losses that could hurt us a little-I would hope that we have the opportunity to play farther." The loss may have been the last for Kester, who stands as Duke's second all-time leading goal scorer with 35 goals. Her 14 goals in 1999 mark the third-best season total in school history.