DURHAM, NC -- The Furman Lady Paladins concluded their 2000 season with a 3-1 loss to the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament in Durham.
Furman spent much of the first half on the defensive end of the field. The Lady Paladins were held without a shot in the first 30 minutes of play and goalkeeper Melissa Barnes was forced to make two saves early in the match, including a diving save to her right on a ball destined to find the back of the Furman net.
Duke broke the scoreless tie just over 17 minutes into the match as Gwendolyn Oxenham broke free down the sideline and crossed the ball into the penalty box to a waiting Allison Sanders who headed it past Barnes and put the Blue Devils up 1-0. The Blue Devils added to their lead two minutes before the break when Carly Fuller scored on a direct kick just outside the penalty box, giving Duke a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
Duke continued the offensive pressure in the second half, outshooting Furman 11-1 in the first 30 minutes of the half. The Blue Devils took a 3-0 lead as Susan Kraeger knocked a corner kick directly into the Lady Paladin net.
Furman cut into Duke's lead when Melissa Turner found national leading scorer Emily Turgeon who beat Blue Devil goalkeeper Thora Helgadottir for her 23rd goal of the season, bringing the score to 3-1..
"I think Duke physcially overwhelmed us today," said Furman head coach Brian Lee.
The Lady Paladins concluded their season with a 20-3 overall record. Furman made only their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in its history. Last season, the Lady Paladins lost 1-0 to Central Florida in the first round. For Duke, the win improved its record to 14-7-1, and the Blue Devils will advance to play the No. 3 seeded Clemson Tigers in the second round of the Tournament.
"We want to continue to go forward in the coming seasons," added Lee. "Our regular season goals were a means toward an end, and I think we shot ourselves in the foot in the SoCon final. We are going to need to get more athletic to advance in future years."
" I am very proud of our seniors," added Lee. "These four seniors came in here dour years ago and really changed the complexion of this team. They have accomplished some great things and have taken Furman soccer to a new level."
"Overall, we've had a very good season," said freshman forward Emily Turgeon. "We didn't get as far as we wanted to today, but I don't think this season has been a disappointment."
Scoring:
Corner Kicks: FU - 4, DU - 7
Saves: FU - 8, DU - 2
Fouls: FU - 8, DU - 6