By Morgan Pruchniewski, Duke Athletic Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM —
After an impressive career with Duke women’s soccer, Caitlin Cosme is continuing to make her mark – with accomplishments both on and off the field.
Cosme joined the Blue Devils in 2017 and proved to be a valuable asset to the program. The defender started 62 matches throughout her time at Duke, playing nearly 6,000 minutes and racking up 21 points throughout her five-year campaign. Cosme was voted team captain and was also selected for the 2020-21 United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region First Team.
After playing only eight career matches in 2017 and 2018, Cosme worked her way into the starting lineup and became one of the top defenders in the nation. She started 59 of her final 62 matches as a Blue Devil and helped the Duke defense to 32 shutouts over that span. She proved she was more than a defender as well, collecting 10 goals.
Finishing up her impressive run at Duke, Cosme was selected 10th overall in the 2022 NWSL draft by the Orlando Pride, making her the first Blue Devil since 2018 to have been drafted in the first round.
Cosme was injured early in her time at Orlando, but has still been making the most of the experience and the transition from college play to the pros.
“My first year in the pros was in a word: unforgettable,” said Cosme. “The NWSL has been eye-opening, it’s been a culture shock but I’ve loved it. The one good thing about being injured is that I got to do a lot of observing, I felt like I was a sponge.”
During her time with the Pride, Cosme has been able to learn from a world class coaching staff and teammates.
“The women on my team are incredible and super inspiring,” raved Cosme. “The speed of play and the competitiveness of these women is something I’d never been around before. I feel lucky to be in this environment.”
Even with being out for most of the season with injuries, Cosme was still able to be a valuable member of the Pride.
“My proudest moment had to do with my team,” said Cosme. “I’m so proud of how we adapted and adjusted to all the adversity we dealt with. I knew I needed to provide value to this team, even though I couldn’t…
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