The then-No. 7/6 Clemson women’s lacrosse team lost in a thriller to then-No. 17/18 Duke Blue Devils 12-11 at the Clemson Lacrosse Complex on Saturday afternoon.
After two weekends in which the Tigers upset their higher-ranked opponents, Clemson finally got a taste of its own medicine, falling to Duke in front of a sold-out crowd on March 8.
The Blue Devils (5-2, 2-1 ACC) stunned the crowd of 1,063 at the Clemson Lacrosse Complex, scoring three unanswered goals in the final seven minutes of the contest. The game-winning goal was scored with 36 seconds left to play, completing Duke’s comeback and sealing its upset.
Earlier in the week, Clemson (6-1, 2-1 ACC) had three players added to the Tewaaraton Award watch list; Kayla MacLeod, Natalie Shurtleff and Summer Agostino became the first Clemson players to ever be recognized. The Tewaaraton Award is the most prestigious award in college lacrosse, presented to the best male and female player at the end of every season.
On Saturday, the Tigers lost despite strong performances from their Tewaaraton trio. Agostino scored her first goal of the season after being named the IWLCA and ACC Defensive Player of the Week, while Shurtleff grabbed her eighth career hat trick. MacLeod netted her 21st goal of the season after an eight-meter opportunity late in the game.
The Blue Devils relied heavily on their defense to beat Clemson for the first time in the series, locking off adjacent passes and face guarding MacLeod for the entirety of the contest. Duke’s strategy paid off, helping the team erase a 4-0 first quarter deficit as Clemson was forced to rely on individual offensive efforts to find every goal. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Kennedy Everson made it even harder on the Tigers, making 10 saves between the pipes.
For Clemson, too many mistakes led to the loss. While it saw great solo performances from players like Lindsey Marshall, who had a season-high five goals, the inability to find cutters or open shots led to offensive inefficiency late in the game.
Duke moved the ball effectively on offense, finding the holes in the Clemson zone defense for quick stick goals on the crease. The Tigers had no answer for Duke’s Callie Hem, who had five goals and largely led the comeback win.
Other notable performances for the Blue Devils included Bella Goodwin with four goals, Mattie Shearer with two goals and an assist, Carly Bernstein with a goal and three assists and Eva Pronti with five assists.
The Tigers will aim to get back in the win column at home against Mercer on Tuesday, March 11. They will then face off against No. 2 North Carolina (7-0, 3-0 ACC) on Saturday, March 15, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
