Duke Caps ACC Opening Weekend with 2-0 Win Over Cal

Sunday, September 21

Durham, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

(5-2, 2-0)

California

(3-4, 0-2)

California

Duke

Alaina McVeigh shoots the ball over the shoulder of Cal goalie

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Caps ACC Opening Weekend with 2-0 Win Over Cal

9/21/2025 3:46:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score

DURHAM, N.C.—Duke senior forward Alaina McVeigh scored a pair of goals on three shots to lift the seventh-ranked Blue Devils over California, 2-0, in ACC field hockey action Sunday afternoon on Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.

Duke (5-2, 2-0) held Cal (3-4, 0-2) to just three shots and to two penalty corners in the game en route to the Blue Devils' third consecutive shutout.

How it Happened

The Blue Devils came out as the aggressor, earning a penalty corner within the first three minutes. Moments later, McVeigh collected a loose ball on the left side of the circle and precisely lifted her shot over the shoulder of Cal goalie Tina Jolly for the 1-0 lead.
Duke continued to press the Bears, finishing the quarter with four shots, and never let Cal get into any kind of rhythm offensively.
With Duke continuing to dominate possession in all thirds of the field, the Blue Devils were in search of the crucial second goal in the second period. They earned three penalty corners in the opening 10 minutes, but were unable to convert, leaving Duke holding onto the 1-0 lead in the waning minutes of the first half.
The Duke press found success, forcing a Cal turnover in its defensive third. McVeigh intercepted the ill-advised pass and quickly dribbled into the left side of the circle and struck her shot perfectly inside the far post for the 2-0 advantage.
Duke generated three shots and two penalty corners in the third quarter but could not capitalize. Cal created action inside Duke's circle in the fourth quarter, hitting the post in the 49th minute – its best chance of the afternoon.
Defensively, Duke remained cohesive and calm throughout the final 15 minutes to earn another shutout. Kaiya Chepow, directing the defense from the goal, anchored the defensive effort in not letting the Bears a single shot on goal.
Duke finished the game with 11 shots and seven penalty corners, while Cal had three and two, respectively. Jolly and Delphine Ayitey-Hammond both made two saves for the Bears in net.

Notes

Alaina McVeigh scored multiple goals in a game for the seventh time in her career. The pair of tallies give her 35 for her career, moving her to 16th in Duke history. The four points this afternoon push her to 78 for her career to rank 18th in Duke history.
Kaiya Chepow recorded her second career shutout as Duke extended its shutout streak to 191:50.
The Blue Devils are 2-0 to start conference play and move to 5-2 overall.
The weekend sweep gives head coach Pam Bustin 180 wins at Duke and 342 for her career.

Up Next

Duke is on the road for consecutive weeks, starting with ACC foe Syracuse Sept. 26 at 6 p.m., on ACC Network. The Blue Devils cap the weekend at VCU, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils field hockey, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeFH".

#GoDuke