DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 19 Clemson Tigers (4-0, 1-0 ACC) defeated Duke 20-11 on Saturday, Feb. 24 to open ACC play. With 10 different goal scores, Clemson showed Duke multiple threats on the attack and spread the ball on offense. Megan Halczuk and the draw circle team dominated as they won 24 of the 35 draws.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team” said Head Coach Allison Kwolek. “They battled together and gave it their all for the full 60 minutes. Paris, Ariana, and Megan were an incredible unit on the draw today. Having 10 different players put up points was incredible. I also thought our defensive unit made some really nice stops and were huge in our transition game.”
The Tiger’s offense took advantage of their possessions and outshot Duke by 18 shots. Emma Tilson and Claire Bockstie each registered a hat trick to lead Clemson in goals scored. Six other Tigers registered two goals and two more notched one goal on the day. Emily Lamparter came up with multiple big-time saves and finished the game with seven total stops in cage. Clemson also picked up 17 of the 28 contested ground balls.
Claire Bockstie quickly responded to Duke’s opening goal with a goal of her own to even the score. After a two-goal run by the Blue Devils, Emma Tilson brought Clemson within one to enter the second quarter. The Tigers then pulled away from the Blue Devils in the second quarter as they scored six unanswered goals, allowing them to enter halftime with a comfortable 11-7 lead. Just before the end of the third quarter, Alex Scialdone scored after securing a pass in traffic in front of the crease from Bockstie to give the Tigers a seven-point lead before the final quarter of the game.
To open up the fourth quarter, Clemson’s defense was playing lights out as they forced a turnover off of a shot clock violation. The Tigers went on to outscore Duke 4-2 in the fourth quarter. A goal from Jasmine Stanton with 11 seconds left made the final score 20-11 for Clemson.
