For 66 minutes, Duke dominated possession but failed to put one home. In the 67th minute, with one stroke from outside the box, Kaitlyn Kerr changed that, giving the Blue Devils their first goal in a 2-0 victory over UNC-Greensboro at Koskinen Stadium.
With the win yesterday afternoon, and the 7-2 rout over Texas A&M on Friday, Duke went 2-0 in the Duke/Nike Classic, coming in first place. North Carolina and the Aggies each won one and lost one, while the Spartans (1-5) went winless.
The No. 10 Blue Devils (7-1) controlled the ball from the start of the game, getting off three shots in the game’s first three minutes. Kerr was at the center of Duke’s chances from the beginning, heading a shot on goal in the third minute and delivering a well-placed cross to freshman forward Kelly Cobb, who had her attempt saved by Kelsey Kearney. The Blue Devils finished the first half with 11 shots, compared to UNC-Greensboro’s one.
“We had a lot of chances, I mean we always play together as a team, and that’s been our goal,” Kerr said. “But, I think we got a little individual… we just needed to finish our chances, and at halftime we really joined together as a team and realized what we needed to do.”
In the second half, Duke continued to control possession, keeping the ball almost exclusively on the Spartan side of the field. They wasted no time generating more opportunities, with one in the half’s first minute off the foot of Mollie Pathman.
Kerr finally broke the ice, however, taking a touch outside the back-right part of the box and putting one into the top-left corner of the net, above the outstretched Kearney. With a goal against the Aggies on Friday and a second one Sunday, Kerr was named the tournament’s MVP.
“She’s shown that ability to score goals from distance,” head coach Robbie Church said. “But, that’s one of the best ones I’ve seen her hit.”
Building off that momentum, Duke kept the ball out of UNC-Greensboro’s possession, creating more chances at the feet of Kerr and Cobb, who along with Natasha Anasi and Erin Koballa were named to the All-Tournament team.
Kerr, Cobb and Pathman controlled the pace of play for the Blue Devils all afternoon, and Cobb’s strong play paid off with just under five minutes to play. Delivering Duke’s eighth corner kick of the game, she placed a perfect ball at the far post for Koballa to slam home, the first goal of the junior’s career.
“At times we passed and moved well in the first half,” Church said. “I thought we passed and moved a lot better in the second half.”
The Blue Devils finished with 24 shots compared to the Spartans’ one, although that one opportunity gave Duke a significant scare. UNC-Greensboro midfielder Lauren Hein delivered a sharply executed ground cross to Kristin Player, who put a shot on goal that Tara Campbell saved, diving to her right.
The Blue Devils conclude their out-of-conference schedule on Thursday at home against College of Charleston and begin to face ACC foes on Sunday against No. 5 Florida State. The tournament victory, especially given that it was over No. 1 North Carolina—even though the two teams did not face each other—gives Duke confidence as it enter the heart of its schedule.
“We won the tournament, and anytime you can play in a tournament with North Carolina and Texas A&M, and you can win the tournament, you’ve done a fantastic job,” Church said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.