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Clemson (5-4-2, 0-3-0 ACC) at Duke (7-2-1, 1-1-1 ACC)
Thursday, Sept. 27  •  7:00 PM  •  Blue Devil Network
Durham, N.C.  •  Koskinen Stadium

Duke Concludes Homestand With Clemson on Thursday...       
    After having the weekend off of matches, the fourth-ranked Duke women's soccer team (7-2-1, 1-1-1 ACC) will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m., as the Blue Devils host Clemson (5-4-2, 0-3-0) at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.  Thursday's match will be aired live on the Blue Devil Network via www.GoDuke.com.
    Following the Clemson match, the Blue Devils will head to third-ranked Virginia for a 2:00 p.m., match on Sunday, Sept. 30 on ESPNU followed by another road contest at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Oct. 4.

The Series With Clemson...
    Duke and Clemson will meet for the 21st time in school history with the series tied at 10-10.  The Blue Devils currently own a four-game win streak against the Lady Tigers and during that stretch has outscored Clemson, 14-1.  In matches played in Durham, the Blue Devils own a 6-5 record.

A Look at Clemson...
    Clemson enters Thursday's match with a 5-4-2 overall record and 0-3 league mark.  The Lady Tigers are coming off a 1-0 loss to fifth-ranked Virginia on Sunday, which marked only the second time this season they have been shutout.  Liska Dobberstein has led the way for Clemson with four goals and eight points. 

Blue Devils at Home...
    In four contests so far this season at Koskinen Stadium, the Blue Devils have posted a 3-0-1 record and outscored their opponents, 19-5, including 9-2 in the first half.  Duke enters Thursday's match at home with a 17-0-2 record at Koskinen Stadium dating back to last season. 
    The 14 home wins in 2011 was an all-time high and marked only the third undefeated home record in school history (1992, 1994).  In 2011, Duke outscored its opponents 38-6 at home.
    The Blue Devils have an all-time record of 162-55-20 in home contests at Koskinen Stadium.  In head coach Robbie Church's 12 years with the Blue Devils, Duke has posted an 81-20-13 mark.

Weinberg Moving Up the Career Charts...
    With her 27 career goals, Laura Weinberg now ranks seventh on Duke's all-time scoring list, while her 64 points is 10th.  She has nine goals in 10 matches and four assists this year.  Her career best in a season was 10 goals as a freshman.


Noting Duke...      

    •  Laura Weinberg has scored goals in five out of the last six contests and has been held scoreless in only three matches this year.
    •  The Blue Devils have outshot their opponents 37-15 over the last two contests but has only outscored them by a 5-4 margin.
    •  Duke has allowed two goals in three out of the last four matches and hasn't posted a shutout since Sept. 2 against Washington State.
    •  The Blue Devils are averaging 19.9 shots a match and has taken 199 in 10 contests.
    •  Kim DeCesare has notched goals in back-to-back contests.
    •  In just her third match back, Mollie Pathman notched her first assist of the 2012 season and the 17th of her career.
    •  Duke has been ranked in the top 10 nationally for 19 straight weeks going back to last year.  It is the longest streak in school history.  The Blue Devils have been listed in the top six for a school-record 17 consecutive weeks.
    •  The Blue Devils have posted double-digit shots on goal in three matches this season -- Elon (17), San Diego (14) and Miami (11).
    •  Dating back to last season, all six of the Blue Devil losses have been by one goal.
    •  Duke has scored 34 goals this year, which is more than four Blue Devil teams - 2006 (29), 2001 (26),1998 (22) and 1991 (33).  The 34 goals has tied 2005, 2007, 2009 and 1988.
    • All four of Duke's starting defenders have registered at least one assist on the year. 
    • Duke allowed a total of 13 goals a season ago, but has already let in 13 goals in 2012.  Of the 13 goals, two have been own goals this season.
    •  The Blue Devils have outscored opponents, 18-5, in the first half this season.
    •  Eight different players have scored goals on the season.
    •  The Blue Devils have outshot their opponents, 90-33, in the first half this season.
    •  Tara Campbell (272) moved into third place on Duke's all-time saves in the Florida State match passing Allison Lipsher (265).
    •  All 11 starters and 90.9 percent of scoring return in 2012 for the Blue Devils.
    •  For the first time in her career, redshirt junior Callie Simpkins scored two goals against Washington State, after coming off the bench. She owns eight career goals. 
    •  Freshman Cassie Pecht continues to shine early this season with four goals and four assists. She has started all nine contests.

In the Rankings...
    Duke moved up one spot to No. 4 in the latest NSCAA/Continental Tire ledger, while dropping to No. 5 in the Soccer America and CS360 polls.  The Blue Devils remained No. 4 in the SoccerTimes polls.

Pecht Making Impact...
    Coming in as a freshman, Cassie Pecht has made an immediate impact as she has totaled four goals and five assists, while starting all 10 matches.  She has notched a goal or assist in eight of the 10 contests this year.  Pecht, who is out of Mechanicsburg, Pa., has played both the forward and midfield slots so far this season.

Pathman & Cobb See Action...
    Both Mollie Pathman and Kelly Cobb have returned to the Duke lineup since rejoining the team following the U-20 World Cup trip to Japan.  Pathman has seen action in three matches and posted her first assist of the season against Maryland last week.  Cobb returned against Maryland on Thursday and played 67 minutes, while taking two shots.

    Both Pathman and Cobb helped lead the U.S. U-20 World Cup team to the championship with a 1-0 victory over Germany. 

Duke in the NCAA Stats...
    In the NCAA stats, the Blue Devils currently have two in the top 13 of points per game -- Laura Weinberg (10th, 2.2) and Kim DeCesare (13th, 2.11).  Gilda Doria is 61st (1.5) and Cassie Pecht is 100th (1.3).  In goals per game, Weinberg (9th, 0.9) and DeCesare (13th, 0.889) are ranked.  Doria and Pecht are 40th with 0.5 assists per game.  In total points, Weinberg is 10th (22) and DeCesare is 18th (19).  Weinberg also ranks eighth with nine goals, while DeCesare is 20th with eight. 

    As a team, Duke ranks third the nation with 33 goals and a 3.4 goals per game average.  Central Arkansas leads the nation with 38 goals and a 3.80 average.

High Scoring Offense...
    With its 3.4 goals per game average and 34 goals through 10 games, the Blue Devils are scoring like no other Blue Devil team coached by Robbie Church.  In his previous 11 years, the most goals his Duke team scored through seven matches was 25 in 2008 for an average of 3.57 (Duke had 29 in seven games in 2012).

    Duke's previous record for most goals through seven matches was 25 in both 1989 and 1993.  The highest goals per game average for a season is 3.05 in 1989 with 67 goals in 22 matches.

In the ACC Stats...
    The Blue Devils boast three players in the top 10 in points -- Laura Weinberg (2nd, 22), Kim DeCesare (T4th, 19) and Gilda Doria (T7th, 1.50).  In goals, Weinberg (T1st, 9) and DeCesare (4th, 8) are listed, while Doria and Pecht are tied third in assists (5), while Weinberg is tied for 10th (4).

    As a team, Duke leads the league in points (102), goals (34), goals per game (3.40), assists (34) and assists per game (3.40).

Two Blue Devils Win the U-20 World Cup...
    Junior Mollie Pathman and sophomore Kelly Cobb helped lead the U.S. U-20 squad to the World Cup title on Sept. 8 with a 1-0 victory over Germany. 

    The duo returned to the team on Sept. 10, after missing the entire non-conference portion of the schedule.   Pathman and Cobb combined to score 17 goals and assisted on 20 others in 2011 for the Blue Devils.

DeCesare Flourishing at the Forward Slot...
    Following moving from the midfield to center forward position this fall, redshirt junior Kim DeCesare had a solid start to the season with eight goals and three assists through nine matches.  She was injured in the first five minutes against San Diego with an ankle injury and missed the Marquette contest.  She returned to action at Florida State and played 66 minutes off the bench.  DeCesare collected a goal at Miami, which was her first goal since the Washington State match on Sept. 2.  She has scored in back-to-back contests.

    For her efforts early on, she was named the Disney Soccer/NSCAA National Player of the Week, ACC Player of the Week, to the Soccer America Team of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week in the opening week, following posting three goals and two assists.  DeCesare was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week after she notched three goals in two matches at the USC Futbol Classic.  She tallied both game-winning goals in the contests.

    DeCesare, a native of Massapequa, N.Y., previous high for goals in a season was five last season, but has already eclipsed that number with eight goals this year.

Doria Picks Up Scoring...
    After scoring only one goal over her first 47 matches, junior Gilda Doria has posted six goals in her last 13 contests dating back to last season.  Doria registered a tally in the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament last year and so far this season she has five goals and five assists.  She owns 14 career assists in three years with the Blue Devils.