Blue Devils Blank Miami, 3-0; Move to 8-0

Sunday, September 18

Oxford, Ohio

1:00 PM

Duke University

Miami (OH)

Blue Devils Blank Miami, 3-0; Move to 8-0

9/18/2016 2:59:00 PM | Field Hockey

Season Statistics Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

OXFORD, Ohio – The second-ranked Duke field hockey team extended its win streak to eight consecutive games to start the fall, downing Miami by a 3-0 score Sunday in non-conference action. The Blue Devils featured stalwart defensive play and received two goals from sophomore forward Rose Tynan while continuing their best start to a season in program history.

Duke outshot Miami 13-7 and placed nine of its looks on cage, while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sammi Steele anchored the squad to its third shutout of the season.

“We did a great job managing the game today,” said head coach Pam Bustin. “The game management was challenged many times for different reasons, and I thought Duke found a way to stay true to their game and really just to keep playing hockey and to keep finding solutions to keep possession and finding solutions to take the ball away from Miami. I'm really proud with the way they just stuck to that and just continued to persist on the attack. We were able to come away with some great scoring opportunities.”

Duke struck first in the 15th minute when junior midfielder Alexa Mackintire sent a ball into the circle for Tynan, who tipped it in for her fourth goal of the season. The Blue Devils continued to create looks at the cage and remained solid on the defensive end to carry the 1-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Duke broke open the scoring with back-to-back goals by senior midfielder Robin Blazing and Tynan. Blazing put back a rebound following a save by Miami goalkeeper Alysa Xavier and Tynan launched a shot from the top of the circle less than two minutes later to make it a 3-0 contest.

Both teams earned corner opportunities inside the final 10 minutes, but the score would stay 3-0 through the end of regulation.

“A few corners at the end of the game gave them opportunities to put the ball in the cage,” Bustin said. “Our corner defense had the best game of their season as far as late in the game, under pressure, playing clean and playing smart in the backfield. That was really good. And they just kept it simple. Sammi, again, came up big towards the end of the game, but I think overall defensively, from our pressing lines with back tackling all the way to the backfield, we were able to maintain the Miami attack, which is very dangerous.”

Tynan led the Blue Devils with five shots on the afternoon while Steele rounded out the contest with two saves.

The RedHawks held a 4-3 edge in penalty corners, but dropped to 3-5 with the loss.

Following this weekend's road trip, Duke returns to the Triangle area to face North Carolina Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. in Chapel Hill.

--- NOTES ---

- At 8-0, Duke is one of just five remaining undefeated Division I squads in the country, joining Boston University (7-0), Connecticut (7-0), Penn State (8-0) and Syracuse (7-0). The Blue Devils topped previously undefeated Louisville Friday, 2-1.

- The eight-game win streak is the best for the Duke program since the 2008 squad won eight consecutive contests en route to a 15-6 finish. The Blue Devils also won eight straight contests in 1990 and nine straight in 2003.

- Sophomore forward Rose Tynan posted the second multiple-goal game of her career.

#GoDuke