No. 14 Clemson Heads to No. 6 Duke with Share of ACC Title on the Line

Match Information at Duke

Who: Clemson Tigers (12-3-2, 6-1-2 ACC) at Duke Blue Devils (12-3-2, 7-1-1 ACC)When: Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.Where: Koskinen Stadium, Durham, N.C.Rankings: Clemson – No. 14 NSCAA, No. 9 Hero Sports, No. 12 Top Drawer Soccer, No. 13 Soccer America. Duke – No. 6 NSCAA, No. 12 Hero Sports, No. 6 Top Drawer Soccer, No. 6 Soccer America.RPI: Clemson – No. 10, Duke – No. 13Follow: @ClemsonWSoccer on TwitterLive Video: ACC Network Extra (http://es.pn/2dE5pLe)Live Stats: GoDuke.com (http://bit.ly/2eQX2d4) 

Clemson Notes:

• The Tigers (12-3-2, 6-1-2 ACC) face Duke on Thursday in Durham with a share of the ACC regular season title on the line. A win over the Blue Devils would put Clemson at 23 points in the league standings. Florida State and Notre Dame could share the league title with the Tigers should they also win on Thursday. If Duke defeats Clemson on Thursday night, the Blue Devils would secure the ACC regular season title outright.
• Clemson is also playing for one of the top-four seeds in the ACC Tournament on Thursday evening. A win or tie over Duke would ensure the Tigers a top-four seed and therefore a spot as a host for the ACC Quarterfinals on Sunday, Oct. 30. A loss to the Blue Devils would mean that the Tigers have to rely on results of other conference matches to determine their tournament seed.
• Clemson has won four straight ACC matches, 1-0 at No. 21 Louisville on Oct. 9, 1-0 vs. Miami on Oct. 14, 2-1 vs. Boston College on Oct. 20 and 2-1 vs. NC State on Oct. 23.
• With the win over the Wolfpack on Oct. 23, the Tigers finished the regular season unbeaten at home at Historic Riggs Field, with a 9-0-1 record. The team’s only tie at home was 1-1 against No. 18 North Carolina.
• As a team, Clemson ranks first in the nation in three offensive statistical categories: total points (136), total assists (50) and assists per game (2.94). The team is second nationally in points per game (8.00) and seventh in scoring offense (2.53) and total goals (43).
• Senior Catrina Atanda, who scored both goals in the victory over NC State on Oct. 23, leads Clemson in scoring with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points. Five of her 11 goals have been game-winners, placing her at 12^th nationally in that category. Atanda has 29 career goals, a figure that ranks eighth in Clemson history.
• Senior Jenna Weston is second among Clemson players in scoring, with six goals and three assists for 15 points. Five of Weston’s six goals have also been game-winners, which ties her for 12^th in the nation with Atanda.
• Sophomore Sam Staab has a team-best 11 assists so far in 2016. She ranks second in the nation in that category, and is also second nationally in assists per game (0.65). The 11 assists also put Staab in a tie for fifth in Clemson record books for single-season assists. Staab also has 18 career assists in just two seasons for the Tigers, a figure that already has her tied for ninth in the school’s career record books.
• Junior Shannon Horgan (three goals, six assists) and senior Claire Wagner (four goals, two assists) and are the fourth and fifth Clemson players in double figures in scoring, with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• Fifteen different players have scored at least one goal for the Tigers so far in 2016, and nine of those 15 have scored two or more goals on the season.
• Nineteen different Tigers have at least one assist on the season. Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan became the 19^th player to tally an assist on the season on Oct. 9, when she assisted on the game-winning goal in Clemson’s 1-0 win at Louisville.
• Sheridan has played 1,293 minutes in goal in 15 contests for the Tigers. She has 49 saves and a .790 save percentage, while allowing just 13 goals for a 0.90 goals against average. Sheridan also has three solo shutouts and two combined shutouts on the season. The four-year starter in goal ranks in the top five in program history in four career categories: tied for first in goals against average (0.86), second in solo shutouts (25), fourth in saves (212) and fourth in save percentage (.779).

Duke Notes:

• Duke (12-3-2, 7-1-1 ACC) has won six of its last seven matches, most recently a 2-0 victory at Pittsburgh on Oct. 23.
• Five Blue Devils are in double figures in scoring, led by Ella Stevens (eight goals, three assists) and Imani Dorsey (seven goals, five assists), with 19 points apiece.
• E.J. Proctor has started all 17 matches in goal for Duke, tallying 40 saves and eight solo shutouts, while allowing just 11 goals on the season.

Series Notes:

• Clemson has a 12-11-1 all-time record in the series against the Blue Devils, with Duke having a 7-4 advantage in matches played in Durham.
• The last meeting between the two teams was a 1-0 victory for the Tigers at home at Historic Riggs Field on Oct. 9, 2014. In that contest, Catrina Atanda scored the lone goal, with an assist by Paige Reckert. Kailen Sheridan posted three saves and a solo shutout en route to picking up the win in goal.