The Duke women’s soccer team was announced as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship bracket on Monday evening.
The Blue Devils, who won the ACC regular-season title for the third time this century, finished with a 14-1-1 record before losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Duke still owns the season series against their in-state rivals, beating them in Durham for the first time ever in September before winning in Chapel Hill on October 31.
Before the ACC Championship, the Blue Devils hadn’t lost a game since the season opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes on August 15th.
Head coach Robbie Church announced ahead of the season that this year would be his last with the program, and it seems like Duke has rallied around him. Fifth-year senior Maggie Graham earned ACC Midfielder of the Year honors after scoring 10 goals and adding five assists in 17 games, and sophomore Mia Oliara (a Chapel Hill native) paced the team with 11 assists.
Cameron Roller and Leah Freeman were named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively.
The Blue Devils face Howard in the opening round on Friday, and should they advance, either the LSU Tigers or Texas Tech Red Raiders would be waiting for them in the next round.