Blue Devils & Tar Heels Face Off Thursday in ACC Semifinals

Match 19

#8 Duke (12-4-2, 6-2-2 ACC) vs. #2 North Carolina (15-3-0, 8-2-0)

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022  – 5:30 PM (ET)  – ACC Network

Cary, N.C. (WakeMed Soccer Park)

ACC Network Talent:  Jenn Hildreth (PXP), Lori Lindsey (Color)

•    Fifth-seeded Duke (12-4-2) will travel down the road to Cary, N.C., to face top-seeded North Carolina (15-3-0) on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m., in the semifinals of the ACC Championship at WakeMed Soccer Park.  
•    Thursday’s match will be aired live on ACC Network with Jenn Hildreth (PXP) and Lori Lindsey (Color) on the call.
•    Duke is making its 32nd appearance in the ACC Championship and owns a 16-31-3 ledger. The Blue Devils have advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Championship for the 15th time.  
•    Duke will face its eighth top-10 team this season when the Blue Devils face No. 2 North Carolina.
•    Kat Rader and Michelle Cooper have scored the last eight goals for Duke over the last three matches.  Either Rader or Cooper have scored in 10 of Duke’s 18 matches.
•    In the latest NCAA RPI, Duke is sixth with its four losses coming to No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Florida State and No. 10 Virginia. The Blue Devils’ schedule is currently ranked the eighth-toughest nationally.
•    Freshman Kat Rader’s 11 goals rank first in the ACC among freshmen — Taylor Price of Virginia Tech (8) is second.
•    In 35 matches played at Duke, Michelle Cooper has tallied at least a goal or assist in 26 of those contests.

STORYLINES/OTHER BLUE DEVIL NOTES

•    The winner of the Duke/UNC match will advance to the ACC Championship final and face the winner of the Florida State/Notre Dame match.  The final will take place Sunday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m., live on ESPNU.

•    Junior Katie Groff will return to WakeMed Soccer Park where she has played numerous times growing up.  A product of Raleigh, N.C., Groff played there with her club team, NC Courage Girls Development Academy, and over the summer of 2022 with U-23 NC Courage.   

•    Duke has collected a 4-4-1 record against ranked opponents.  Of the 13 goals scored by Duke, Michelle Cooper (6) and Kat Rader (4) have scored 10 of them.

•    Junior Maggie Graham has assisted on goals in five out of the last seven contests. She ranks tied for…