No. 6 Duke Falls on the Road at No. 4 Florida State

Box Score TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a matchup of the top two teams in the ACC on Thursday evening in Tallahassee, Fla., fourth-ranked Florida State scored four second-half goals on its way to defeating the Duke women’s soccer team, 5-1, at the Seminole Soccer Complex.  

The Blue Devils dropped to 10-4-0 overall and 5-2 in ACC action, while the Seminoles improved to 10-1-2, 6-1-0.  

How It Happened

•    The Blue Devils had a few chances early as Duke sent balls across the box where Maggie Graham and Mackenzie Pluck attempted shots, but were not able to get them across the line.  

•    Freshman Kat Rader also blasted a right-footed attempt at the 11:10 mark, but was saved by FSU keeper Cristina Roque.  

•    Florida State was able to get on the board at the 22:18 mark of the first half as Jody Brown beat the Duke defense off a feed from Jenna Nighswonger and finished in the bottom left corner to take a 1-0 lead.  

•    Less than four minutes later, Michelle Cooper was taken down at approximately the 42-yard mark and Duke was awarded a free kick.  Sophie Jones stepped up and fired a shot towards the goal that was headed up and towards the FSU net by a Seminole player.  Graham used her body to pass the ball to Grace Watkins and she finished her fist goal of the season to even the score, 1-1.  

•    Duke held a 6-3 advantage in shots, with three being on goal in the first half.

•    Florida State went ahead again, 2-1, at the 50:14 mark as Brown fired a shot into the top left corner of the net past a diving Duke goalkeeper, Ruthie Jones.  

•    The Seminoles added a third goal off a free kick at the 54:23 mark as Nighswonger found Beata Olsson for a header.  

•    Florida State scored its fourth and fifth goals in the 63rd and 80th minutes to go ahead, 5-1.  

Notes

•    Mackenzie Pluck played in her 98th career match, which passed Laura Weinberg and Natasha Anasi for first all-time in the Duke record charts.  

•    Grace Watkins collected her fourth career goal in the first half.  

•    The five goals allowed was a season high for Duke and the most allowed since Oct. 28, 2010 against North Carolina (3-5).  

•    The Blue Devils dropped only their fifth road match over the last 21 contests (15-5-1).

•    Duke entered the match…