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Women's Soccer
vs #19 North Carolina
Photo by: Peter Raider, Duke Athletics
Evans Exudes Enthusiasm on and off the Pitch
10/6/2025 3:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
A product of Roswell, Ga., Riley Jackson is in her second season with the North Carolina Courage. Once a Duke women's soccer commit, Jackson signed with the Courage during high school as a 17-year-old. Jackson is a former No. 1 ranked recruit nationally and was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jackson will be a contributing writer during the 2025 season for the Blue Devils telling stories of the Duke women's soccer program.
DURHAM, N.C.-- One of the things that makes being part of a team so special is how
each person's unique abilities contribute to achieving a common goal. Redshirt junior Taylor Evans has found her niche amongst the Duke women's soccer program using her contagious energy and communication skills to impact the team's success.
Being part of the Blue Devil program has been a remarkable experience for Evans. Finding like-minded best friends has motivated her to be not only a better soccer player, but a better person.
"Being part of this program for the past four years has not only made me a better person, but I've found my best friends," said Evans. "Being surrounded by people who are not only my best friends but also so competitive spirited motivates me to want to be better and be a person to motivate others."
Desire to grow and impact the team no matter her role has been a consistent theme throughout Evans' Duke career. While not fielding as many minutes as she may have hoped, Evans has learned the value of embracing challenges and celebrating wins.
"Throughout my career here we've gone through really high highs and really low lows, being able to understand how important those experiences are in soccer and life have been so valuable to me," said Evans."
Scoring her first career goal against VMI this season was truly a special moment for Evans. Known for her aggression and skill in the air, it was fitting perhaps that her first goal came as a result of a header off of a corner kick in the dying moments of the match. Celebrating with her teammates was among what made scoring so special, highlighting the team's togetherness and support for one another.
"I was so excited, I love winning balls out of the air," said Evans. "The most special part was how happy my team was for me. I was getting so many hugs and it just shows how unified the team is, how everyone celebrates everyone's successes. A full circle moment, being a senior and struggling with minutes and having the opportunity to be the one receiving the support after scoring was so special."
Being voted captain this season was a culmination of Evans' relentless pursuit of instilling constant joy into the squad no matter the circumstances. While she accepts the captaincy as a great honor, she has remained true to herself as a leader and consistent in her values that have led her to gain great respect from the team throughout her time at Duke.
"Being captain is just a label, an awesome label to have and I want to wear that with pride," said Evans. "But if I changed the way that I led because of wearing a captain's band then I don't think I would be leading correctly. My way of leading is influencing people to want to be better soccer players and people every day."
Acting as the 'glue' of the team, her teammates demonstrate immense gratitude for the leadership Evans contributes. Her selflessness and positivity stands out as one of her most valued qualities amongst the team.
"I would say that Taylor Evans' leadership is truly what brings our team together," said junior Phoebe Goldthwaite. "She is one of the most selfless people I have ever met, always supporting everyone regardless of their role. Taylor radiates joy and positivity, but she also has the ability to switch into a focused, competitive mindset when it matters most—a balance that I believe is one of the most valuable qualities a leader can have."
In every moment of her time spent with the group, Evans is working to motivate her teammates to be their best. Priding herself on being a well-rounded and approachable teammate, Evans balances her leadership style by being the team shoulder to lean on while also holding the squad accountable on and off the pitch.
"I want to be the person who brings light during adversity and be the person people can approach and come to when they need something," said Evans. "But I have also learned that to become the best leader you are not always going to be people's best friend. I care so much about this team and these people that I am willing to have hard conversations and make sure that things are getting done by holding people accountable"
Evans has made her goal of reaching the entire team a reality by connecting with both players her own age and being an outstanding role model for the underclassmen.
"Having Taylor as captain has been such an important part of my freshman year," said Lexi Coughlin. "Whether it's a practice or game, Taylor is always making sure that we set the tone and keep our energy high. She's someone I look up to, is constantly checking in, showing great energy and giving me the encouragement I need. Those moments have really helped me adjust here at Duke."
The drive to deliver when it matters most defines the Duke team at its core. Pushing the standards of previous year's teams to new heights and bringing a ruthless mentality into the rest of the season is crucial for the group and is a point of emphasis for Evans as a leader.
"We have a 'get it done' mentality," said Evans. "There are so many things as a team that we are good at, but at the end of the day we need to get the job done. I want to inject that concept within the collective. A high-performance mentality is crucial, every player on the team is so important no matter what your role is. It's hard not to play as much, but I want to be the person who plays their role well knowing that you will be rewarded."
The way that Evans' leadership impacts the group has not gone unnoticed by Duke head coach Kieran Hall.
"I am incredibly proud of Taylor," said Hall. "Her trajectory has been different than we may have anticipated, and even what she had anticipated, but what we have in Taylor is someone that injects so much energy and enthusiasm into this team, and it's contagious. When you're standing in the proximity of Taylor, she's going to inject so much energy into you, and you can't help but want to give more and bring more energy yourself, and that's myself included. The opportunity I have to work with Taylor on a daily basis isn't lost on me. I'm so fortunate to get to work with a person like Taylor, because she brings life to us coaches as well. Taylor's a good example of why we do what we do as coaches, to work with young women like her. She's an integral piece of this team, and if we are ever to be successful in anything we do, it's Taylor's fingerprints that will be all over that."
Her impact on the group has been integral to the team's success throughout the years. Looking beyond her time at Duke, Evans expressed excitement about the potential opportunity to play soccer abroad, as well as a desire to continue to help others through possible future career paths, including a particular interest in physical therapy.
"I have always been interested in playing soccer abroad. Being able to travel and play the sport that I love at the same time sounds so special," said Evans. "I am studying psychology and neuroscience. This summer I interned for my physical therapist while I was dealing with my own injury, which made me interested in possibly going to physical therapy school because a big passion of mine is wanting to help and take care of people."
Watch Evans and the Blue Devils take on rival North Carolina on Sunday October 12 in Durham at 1 p.m., inside Koskinen Stadium.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.-- One of the things that makes being part of a team so special is how
each person's unique abilities contribute to achieving a common goal. Redshirt junior Taylor Evans has found her niche amongst the Duke women's soccer program using her contagious energy and communication skills to impact the team's success.Being part of the Blue Devil program has been a remarkable experience for Evans. Finding like-minded best friends has motivated her to be not only a better soccer player, but a better person.
"Being part of this program for the past four years has not only made me a better person, but I've found my best friends," said Evans. "Being surrounded by people who are not only my best friends but also so competitive spirited motivates me to want to be better and be a person to motivate others."
Desire to grow and impact the team no matter her role has been a consistent theme throughout Evans' Duke career. While not fielding as many minutes as she may have hoped, Evans has learned the value of embracing challenges and celebrating wins.
"Throughout my career here we've gone through really high highs and really low lows, being able to understand how important those experiences are in soccer and life have been so valuable to me," said Evans."
Scoring her first career goal against VMI this season was truly a special moment for Evans. Known for her aggression and skill in the air, it was fitting perhaps that her first goal came as a result of a header off of a corner kick in the dying moments of the match. Celebrating with her teammates was among what made scoring so special, highlighting the team's togetherness and support for one another.
"I was so excited, I love winning balls out of the air," said Evans. "The most special part was how happy my team was for me. I was getting so many hugs and it just shows how unified the team is, how everyone celebrates everyone's successes. A full circle moment, being a senior and struggling with minutes and having the opportunity to be the one receiving the support after scoring was so special."
What a special moment.
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) September 5, 2025
Captain Taylor Evans scored her first career goal in the final minutes tonight!! pic.twitter.com/dqcTQvW5Mn
Being voted captain this season was a culmination of Evans' relentless pursuit of instilling constant joy into the squad no matter the circumstances. While she accepts the captaincy as a great honor, she has remained true to herself as a leader and consistent in her values that have led her to gain great respect from the team throughout her time at Duke.
"Being captain is just a label, an awesome label to have and I want to wear that with pride," said Evans. "But if I changed the way that I led because of wearing a captain's band then I don't think I would be leading correctly. My way of leading is influencing people to want to be better soccer players and people every day."
Acting as the 'glue' of the team, her teammates demonstrate immense gratitude for the leadership Evans contributes. Her selflessness and positivity stands out as one of her most valued qualities amongst the team.
"I would say that Taylor Evans' leadership is truly what brings our team together," said junior Phoebe Goldthwaite. "She is one of the most selfless people I have ever met, always supporting everyone regardless of their role. Taylor radiates joy and positivity, but she also has the ability to switch into a focused, competitive mindset when it matters most—a balance that I believe is one of the most valuable qualities a leader can have."
In every moment of her time spent with the group, Evans is working to motivate her teammates to be their best. Priding herself on being a well-rounded and approachable teammate, Evans balances her leadership style by being the team shoulder to lean on while also holding the squad accountable on and off the pitch.
"I want to be the person who brings light during adversity and be the person people can approach and come to when they need something," said Evans. "But I have also learned that to become the best leader you are not always going to be people's best friend. I care so much about this team and these people that I am willing to have hard conversations and make sure that things are getting done by holding people accountable"
Evans has made her goal of reaching the entire team a reality by connecting with both players her own age and being an outstanding role model for the underclassmen.
"Having Taylor as captain has been such an important part of my freshman year," said Lexi Coughlin. "Whether it's a practice or game, Taylor is always making sure that we set the tone and keep our energy high. She's someone I look up to, is constantly checking in, showing great energy and giving me the encouragement I need. Those moments have really helped me adjust here at Duke."
The drive to deliver when it matters most defines the Duke team at its core. Pushing the standards of previous year's teams to new heights and bringing a ruthless mentality into the rest of the season is crucial for the group and is a point of emphasis for Evans as a leader.
"We have a 'get it done' mentality," said Evans. "There are so many things as a team that we are good at, but at the end of the day we need to get the job done. I want to inject that concept within the collective. A high-performance mentality is crucial, every player on the team is so important no matter what your role is. It's hard not to play as much, but I want to be the person who plays their role well knowing that you will be rewarded."
The way that Evans' leadership impacts the group has not gone unnoticed by Duke head coach Kieran Hall.
"I am incredibly proud of Taylor," said Hall. "Her trajectory has been different than we may have anticipated, and even what she had anticipated, but what we have in Taylor is someone that injects so much energy and enthusiasm into this team, and it's contagious. When you're standing in the proximity of Taylor, she's going to inject so much energy into you, and you can't help but want to give more and bring more energy yourself, and that's myself included. The opportunity I have to work with Taylor on a daily basis isn't lost on me. I'm so fortunate to get to work with a person like Taylor, because she brings life to us coaches as well. Taylor's a good example of why we do what we do as coaches, to work with young women like her. She's an integral piece of this team, and if we are ever to be successful in anything we do, it's Taylor's fingerprints that will be all over that."
Her impact on the group has been integral to the team's success throughout the years. Looking beyond her time at Duke, Evans expressed excitement about the potential opportunity to play soccer abroad, as well as a desire to continue to help others through possible future career paths, including a particular interest in physical therapy.
"I have always been interested in playing soccer abroad. Being able to travel and play the sport that I love at the same time sounds so special," said Evans. "I am studying psychology and neuroscience. This summer I interned for my physical therapist while I was dealing with my own injury, which made me interested in possibly going to physical therapy school because a big passion of mine is wanting to help and take care of people."
Watch Evans and the Blue Devils take on rival North Carolina on Sunday October 12 in Durham at 1 p.m., inside Koskinen Stadium.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
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