Durham, N.C. – The No. 3 Clemson (3-2-0, 2-2-0) women’s soccer team fought until the final whistle but could not even the scoreline as No. 11 Duke (2-1-2, 1-1-2) downed the Tigers in Durham, N.C. by a 0-1 score.
“Disappointed in the result, but not disappointed in the effort displayed by the team,” said Head Coach Eddie Radwanski on the performance. “We had our chances, but just needed to put one of those away to solve it.”
Entering the match, forward Sami Meredith and goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz received their first career starts. Meredith, who averaged 45 minutes off the bench in the first four matches, recorded 86 minutes in Sunday’s game while Mackiewicz saw her first bout of action in any form against the Blue Devils while playing a full 90 between the posts.
In the 30th minute, the Blue Devils would find the eventual game-winner as a sliding Olivia Migli was able to connect and find the far side of the net.
Trying to find the equalizer, Clemson came into the final half with speed as they outshot Duke 8-3. The final 45 minutes of play also gave the Tigers a slew of opportunities from the corner, managing to force six in the second half alone.
“I was proud of the performance particularly in the second half,” said Radwanski. “I thought we played with a lot of energy and decisiveness. You’re banging on the door and don’t get anything from it, but we will learn from this experience.”
Overall, the Tigers outshot the Blue Devils by a 10-5 margin while also edging the Durham squad 8-4 in corners. Clemson will return home for their next opponent as they face Wake Forest on Oct. 11 for a 3:30 p.m. match on ACCN. The match against the Demon Deacons will also honor Clemson’s four seniors Kimber Haley, Abigail Mitchell, Mariana Speckmaier, and Audrey Viso.
