ODU Women's Soccer Team Drops a 1-0 Heartbreaker to No. 1 Seed Duke in NCAA Tournament

By Harry Minium

DURHAM, N.C. – The Old Dominion's women's soccer team played magnificent defense and with a ton of heart and for all but 17 seconds of regulation, shut out No. 1 seeded Duke.

And then the Monarchs lost in the most heartbreaking fashion possible.

Duke's Caitlin Cosme drilled a free kick just outside the box into the net with 17 seconds left that allowed the Blue Devils to escape with a 1-0 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

ODU goalkeeper Kasey Perry, who had nine shutouts and was named Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year, played brilliantly. She had five saves and half a dozen other times, dove and smothered the ball with Duke players waiting in front of the net.

But there was nothing she could have done to stop Cosme's shot, which she hit with precision into the upper right corner of the net.

"She crushed it," Perry said. "Hats off to her. She hit it well, really well."

Coach Angie Hind said she saw Cosme make similar goals on tape earlier this season.

"We scouted that free kick and knew that kid could hit them," she said. "It was going to take something like that, something special to beat us."

The defeat ended an historic season for the Monarchs (13-5-1), who won their first Conference USA title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

The Monarchs got waxed by Wake Forest, 4-0, in 2006. But Friday's game was one the Monarchs could have won.

Hind made a radical change in ODU's game plan that stymied Duke. She put five players on the defensive backline rather than four. That gave the two outside corners the freedom to play away from the goal when the ball came to their side.

The move worked. Try as they might, the Blue Devils could not put the ball in the net. There were half a dozen close misses, including a shot that hit the crossbar midway through the second half.

Although the game was played largely in ODU's half of the field, the Monarch defenders often booted the ball away from Blue Devils as they advanced toward the net.

"We played the same system all season and really played it well," Hind said. "But I thought Duke was good enough to merit that. We really had to protect ourselves. And there was the element of surprise.

"We caused them problems. I've watched them play every ACC team and I thought we caused them more problems than a lot of ACC teams.



"With two days to get used to it, we did phenomenally well. Our backline was outstanding and I thought to a person they worked their socks off. They were tough, they were resolute and they were aggressive.

"And it came down to a decision and a goal like that for the No. 1 seed to win the game."

ODU had 16 fouls to six for the Blue Devils, including one that set up the game-winner.

The downside to playing what was in essence a prevent defense is that ODU's frontline was outmanned by Duke. Hind said she hoped Morgan Hall, Carla Morich and Megan Watts could create scoring opportunities, but they were few and far between.

Emily Roberts, the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, played all 90 minutes and prevented several potential Duke goals by diving and booting the ball away.

"Kasey Perry was phenomenal," Hind said. "They have five saves for her. I thought they missed a digit. She was just outstanding.

"And Emily Roberts has done that game after game after game and not for one season, but for five. She's just been a mountain for us. She gave our other players confidence."

Although Perry is a senior, she and several other players will use the extra year of eligibility given by the NCAA because of the pandemic and return next season.

Roberts and Hall are fifth-year seniors and won't return. It was also the final game for Jasmine Crawley, Emily Garrick, Emma Gervase, Erica Carpenter and Allie Brimmer.  

"I told our players 'don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened,'" Hind said. "And that's exactly how they should feel."



ODU won three games in five days last week to claim the Conference USA Tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, and then had a 15-hour bus ride back to Norfolk. ODU bused because its flight to Florida was canceled.

Midfielder Ece Turkoglu, the junior who plays for the Turkish national team, played 74 minutes with a strained hamstring, and had two of ODU's shots on goal.

"It was really hard to lose that way," Torkoglu said. "We really prepared for the NCAA tournament all season. We deserved better. But it's just soccer."

Hind said she was amazed at how confident her players were playing a No. 1 seed on its home field.

"They seemed so focused and comfortable," Hind said. "To say, 'we're playing No. 1, who cares?' We know what we can do and we gave it our all and we've done that the last four games.

"It shows you the depth and commitment and belief and trust they have in each other.

"I couldn't be prouder of them."