Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #1 Stanford on December 5, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
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Trio of Blue Devils Set to Open 2017 NWSL Campaign
4/14/2017 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. – The 2017 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) will kick off Saturday, April 15 with three former Duke standouts taking the pitch. Christina Gibbons (FC Kansas City), Rebecca Moros (FC Kansas City) and Kim DeCesare (Sky Blue FC) all made their team's 20-person regular season roster.
DeCesare and the Sky Blue FC squad will host Seattle Reign FC at 10 p.m., (ET), while Gibbons and Moros' FC Kansas City team will hit the road for the Boston Breakers at 6 p.m. (ET).
Gibbons and Moros will look to get FC Kansas City back into the playoffs, after missing the postseason in 2016 and snapping a three-year streak of playoff action. FC Kansas City had won back-to-back NWSL titles in 2014 and 2015. The squad totaled a 7-8-5 overall record, which tied for sixth place.
A native of Raleigh, N.C., Gibbons was the No. 5 overall selection in the NWSL College Draft this past winter. Gibbons, one of the most decorated Duke women's soccer standouts in school history, became just the third Blue Devil to earn NSCAA First Team All-America honors and one of two Duke alumnae to be named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy. The 5-6 defender/midfielder earned First Team All-ACC honors in each of her final three years and concluded her career starting 87-of-88 contests, including the final 73 in a row. She totaled 10 goals, 19 assists and 39 points, while also helping lead Duke to 38 shutouts on the defensive end over her career.
In March, Moros was acquired by FC Kansas City from the Houston Dash. Moros has been in the NWSL for three years and has made 58 appearances, recording 53 starts. The defender has played for four different teams during her professional campaign in the NWSL, Portland Thorns FC, FCKC, Houston and FC Kansas City. A 2007 Duke graduate, Moros was an All-America with the Blue Devils totaling 15 goals, 20 assists and 50 points.
DeCesare enters her third season with Sky Blue FC, which is coming off a 7-8-5 season in 2016. Over the last two years, she has made seven starts over 15 appearances. Prior to arriving in New Jersey, she spent time with the NWSL's Boston Breakers and Eskilstuna United DFF of the Swedish Women's Premier Division, Damallsvenskan. A 2014 Blue Devil graduate, DeCesare accumulated 29 goals and 15 assists over her Duke career, while her 73 points is the ninth-best in school history. She helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2011 NCAA College Cup.
Recently Duke senior's Toni Payne (Ajax) and Lizzy Raben (AC Sparta Praha) signed professional contracts to play overseas, while Krysia Sikora is looking to also play as well.
The NWSL and Lifetime unveiled recently the 2017 broadcast schedule including a milestone package of 22 regular-season matches, both playoff semifinal games and the NWSL Championship game. Sky Blue FC will have its contest against the Houston Dash aired Saturday, May 13 at 4 p.m.
#GoDuke
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