In the middle of a four-match road trip, the Virginia women's soccer treks to Durham, N.C. to face Duke, hoping to end its two-game losing streak.
The Cavaliers (6-5-3) hold a 1-4-1 record in the conference. Overall, Virginia has outscored opponents 31-11 but has struggled against ACC teams. Nine of the 11 team's allowed goals in have been in conference play.
Despite similar records, the Blue Devils (6-5-4, 2-2-2 ACC) are coming off a 2-0 win Sunday at Clemson and have held their last three opponents scoreless. Tonight's matchup is key, as both teams are battling for a spot in next month's ACC Tournament, with just four regular season games remaining.
The Cavaliers must be careful to defend against second-half comebacks. All five of Virginia's losses this year have been by a margin of only one goal, including three in which the game-winning goal was scored in the 88th minute or later. Most recently, the Cavaliers lost 2-1 at No. 2 North Carolina on a penalty kick in the 89th minute.
Duke is a team that specializes in scoring during the first half though, as 18 of Duke's scores came in the first period this season. The Blue Devils have scored 28 goals this season, eight of which were netted by senior forward KayAnne Gummersall.
On the defensive end, Duke has allowed 15 points to opponents. Freshman goalkeeper Tara Campbell has a .816 save percentage in 1,216 minutes of play.
In 1,224 minutes of play, starting Virginia goalkeeper sophomore Chantel Jones has allowed 11 goals and had 40 saves for a .784 save percentage.
The Cavalier offense is no slouch either, as junior forward Meghan Lenczyk and senior midfielder Jess Rostedt have each scored six goals for the Cavaliers, while sophomore forward Lauren Alwine has contributed five.
Virginia holds a 15-11-6 advantage in the series overall, including a 6-3-3 record in games played in Durham.
-compiled by Meryem Karad
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