Big Second Half Lifts No. 2 Duke In Home Opener

Friday, February 20

Durham, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Richmond

Big Second Half Lifts No. 2 Duke In Home Opener

2/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? A 12-goal second half propelled the No. 2 Duke women's lacrosse team to a 14-9 win over Richmond Friday evening in the 2009 home opener at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.

After the first half ended 2-2, Duke came out strong in the second half to pull away over the visiting Spiders.

“We took better care of the ball in the second half and we made some adjustments on the draw ? with Sarah Bullard taking it ? and I felt like that made a big difference,” said head coach Kerstin Kimel of the difference in the halves. “We had the ball more and we were a lot more productive with it then we were in the first half.”

The Blue Devils were led by senior Carolyn Davis' six-goal effort ? the second time in her career she has posted six tallies. The mark ties her for second-most all-time in a single game at Duke.

Behind Davis, junior Lindsay Gilbride scored four goals while Sarah Bullard got two and Caroline Cryer and Christie Kaestner posted one apiece. The score was the first of the season for Kaestner. Cryer and sophomore Emma Hamm each had two assists in the game.

In the net, Kim Imbesi got four saves in 60 minutes of action, while the Blue Devil defense held Richmond to just 13 shots compared to Duke's 29. Duke limited itself to only 13 turnovers, while winning 16 of 25 draws and picking up 23 ground balls.

Richmond's Mandy Friend had four goals and Allison Furstenburg had a hat trick for the Spiders. Caitlin Fifield added two.

Duke went up 2-0 to start the contest in the first ten minutes of play, both Davis goals, before Richmond answered back with a pair of its own to tie it with 3:21 left in the first half. The score remained knotted at two heading into the locker room as both teams struggled to find offensive rhythm.

But the Blue Devils found their rhythm in the second half, tallying 12 goals after the break to pull away. Gilbride netted the first two of the second half, taking assists from Cryer and Hamm to put Duke up 4-2. Fifield put the Spiders back within one on an unassisted score with 24:28 left, before Davis put her third and fourth into the net. Davis' fourth goal of the day ? and Duke's six ? came after the senior checked a Richmond player for the caused turnover on an attempted clear, scooped up the ground ball, and took the ball back into the offense end for the shot and goal.

Richmond made it 8-5 on Fifield's other score of the day, but Duke went back up by four and then five on goals by Gilbride and Bullard midway through the half. Both were man-up chances after a Spiders yellow card.

Furstenburg and Friend kept Richmond close with late scores, as Friend score two of her four in the last 3:31, but another late one from Davis kept the distance for the Blue Devils, who were able to hang on for the home win.

With the victory, Duke improves to 9-1 all-time against Richmond, which includes a nine-game winning streak. The Spiders drop to 0-2 with the loss.

Tonight's game ? as well as the men's game beforehand ? benefited the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation as the women sported pink jerseys in the contest. The teams raised a total of $1,227 in jersey auction sales and donations, with all proceeds going to Friends of Jaclyn.

The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation pairs sick children with area college or high school teams. The women's squad ?adopted' nine-year-old Yuki Kapule back in December. Yuki was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, and received treatment at Duke University Hospital. The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was inspired by Jaclyn Murphy, who was diagnosed with the condition in March 2004 at age 11 and was adopted by the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team.

The women will gear up to face William & Mary at home on Sunday at 3 p.m. in another double header with the men's team.

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