In order to advance to its second Final Four in program history, Duke will have to end Long Beach State’s Cinderella run—no easy task given that the 49ers have yet to concede a goal in tournament play. In a battle that features two of the nation’s top defenses, the Blue Devils’ set pieces, including free- kick services from junior midfielder Nicole Lipp, may make the difference.
Duke will appear in its third Elite Eight in five years at 7 p.m. Friday at Koskinen Stadium. In stark contrast, Long Beach State, the first member of the Big West conference to advance past the tournament’s third round, will be just three weeks removed from its first-ever NCAA tournament victory.
Nevertheless, that win—a 1-0 upset of third-seeded Pepperdine—serves as evidence that the 49ers certainly deserve their spot in the quarterfinals. And just as the Blue Devils have set their single-season win record with 20, Long Beach State has eclipsed its own program mark with 18. The 49ers have also set single-season school records in goals, assists and points. Additionally, Long Beach State brings a high level of determination to improve upon its most recent postseason.
“We played Santa Clara last year in the NCAA tournament, and we played pretty much our best game of the year,” 49ers head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We outshot them by a wide margin, and we couldn’t pull the result. We lost 1-0 in the last five minutes. So that didn’t sit well with us.”
So far, Long Beach State has avoided disappointment by simply not letting their opponents find the back of the net. Through three rounds they have yet to concede a goal so far.
The rolling Duke offense, fueled by midfielder Kaitlyn Kerr’s four goals in three games, may provide the 49ers with their toughest test of the season.
“Kaitlyn’s a big-time player,” Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church said. “She plays well in big-time events, and that’s what the NCAA tournament is. She obviously had a fantastic regular season… but she’s even taken her game to another level right now.”
On the other side of the pitch, the 49ers also face a daunting task in breaking through the Duke defense.
“We’re more worried about the defensive end,” Ingrassia said. “They’ve only given up 11 goals all year. They’re just a fantastic team.”
For the Blue Devils to advance, though, they will need to connect the backline with their offense. As a holding center midfielder, Lipp plays an essential role in helping Duke flow as a unit and transition from one end of the field to the other.
“A lot of my job is to win balls in the midfield and prevent the other team from getting into the attack, but it’s also to keep possession, get the ball off the backline, and connect to the forwards and within the midfield,” Lipp said.
She has also become the primary free kick taker for the Blue Devils in the offensive half of the field.
“She can hit a ball with power, and she can make the ball dip and drop,” Church said. “She’s got great accuracy on her services, to make goalkeepers make a decision—do I come or do I stay?”
Her knack for setting up teammates through her free-kick services provides Duke with an offensive weapon to complement their three high-scoring forwards.
In Sunday’s third round game, Lipp assisted both goals by serving free kicks into the 18-yard box, first finding forward Kelly Cobb, then Kerr.
“When you get this deep in the tournament, you’re looking for a certain edge,” Church said. “[Set plays are] something that maybe separates you from other teams, offensively and defensively.”
After exiting in the first and third rounds in the last two years, Duke’s upperclassmen have plenty of reason to show the progress they’ve made through experience. Just as the 49ers will be seeking to keep their remarkable post-season run alive and continue to improve on past years, Duke too will be looking to capitalize on its chance to make program history.
“Coming off of last year, getting to the Sweet Sixteen, we knew that we could do more,” Lipp said. “Ever since preseason, everyone’s just been focused on this one goal. And now that it’s tournament time, everyone’s ready for it.”
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