DURHAM, N.C. – The East Carolina soccer team fell to the Duke Blue Devils, 2-0, on Thursday evening at Koskinen Stadium. Both Duke goals came in the first half as the Pirates saw their four-game win streak come to an end.
Duke opened the scoring early in the game when Carina Lageyre made a great run into the box in just the ninth minute. Her initial shot was saved but the dynamic Kat Rader was there to fire home a second shot which beat Maeve English to the far post.
Annabelle Abbott had the best look of the first half for the Pirates in the 15th minute when she got a look at the top of the 18 on a corner kick. Her shot was blocked and went just wide for another corner which Duke was able to clear away.
The Blue Devils struck again in the 40th minute when Katie Groff scored on a long header on Devin Lynch’s corner kick. Groff’s header was a long, lofted shot that sailed over the heads of the Pirate defense and into the right side of the net.
In the second half, both teams were able to build some offense, getting forward on the pitch and hunting for chances, but to no avail on the score sheet.
Rader took a good shot in the 54th minute but English was able to comfortably make the save for the Pirates. The Duke star nearly struck again in the 71st minute when her free kick from near the top of the 18 clanged off the woodwork and back into the field of play where the Pirates were able to end the danger.
Key Stats
- Sierra Lowery made her first start of the season as she works back from injury.
- A host of Pirates went the full 90: English, Abbott, Abby Sowa, Jazmin Ferguson, Lucy Fazackerley, Sierra Lowery and Juliana Viera.
- The Pirates were outshot 14-3 with a 6-2 margin on goal.
Up Next
The Pirates remain on the road for a 1 p.m. tilt with Western Carolina on Sunday in Cullowhee, N.C.