DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 7 Clemson Tigers shutout No. 23 Duke, 1-0 to secure their 11th victory of the season and 10th clean sheet of the year. Senior Makenna Morris scored the lone-goal of the match as she passed the 50 career points mark in Durham.
“Duke is never an easy game to play, especially on their home field but I thought we were in control for a good portion of the match especially in the first half. I saw a lot of good things in our game model that we are trying to stay true to and so I give the kids credit for that,” Head Coach Eddie Radwanski said. “It’s exciting to get the win, grabbing three valuable points in the standings in the ACC, so we’re still in contention so we are going to put our heads down and get back to work.”
Clemson started off strong in the first half as they dominated the pitch and held possession of the ball for the majority of the half. The Tigers tried to find opportunities to score as they outshot the Blue Devils 7-2 in the first half. The Tigers found the key moment to score when Morris was awarded a penalty kick in the 28th minute of the half.
Morris was able to find the back of the net as the ball went just past the reach of Duke’s keeper, giving the Tigers the 1-0 lead. The goal marked Morris’ seventh of the season and 16th of her Clemson career as the defender officially passed the 50 career points mark.
“Shoutout to my teammates, I couldn’t do it without them. All the goals and assists, it all just comes down to the people I play around and all of them having belief and support in me,” Morris said. “And to get a win here at Duke; in my four years here, this is our first time beating them so it feels really good.”
In the second half, the Tigers impressed defensively as they allowed little to no scoring opportunities for the Blue Devils. Clemson outshot Duke 14-6 and left them cornerless in both halves. With help from the Tiger defense and goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz, Clemson earned their 10th clean sheet of the season against Duke.
Mackiewicz, who continues to lead the nation in shutouts, picks up her 10th clean sheet of the season and her 20th career shutout. In the 11 victories the Tigers have earned this season,10 have been shutouts. The senior is one shutout away from tying former Tiger, Ashley Phillips (2004-07) for third most solo shutouts in Clemson Tiger history (21).
With the win over Blue Devils, the No. 7 Tigers remain unbeaten on the road in both the non-conference and conference slate.
Up next, Clemson will play host to Louisville as the No. 7 Tigers are back at Historic Riggs Field on Thursday, October 19th. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.
