DURHAM, N.C. – The James Madison women's soccer team fell to Duke, 5-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Koskinen Stadium on Friday night.
The third-seeded Blue Devils (11-5-4) advance to the Round of 32 where they will take on the winner of South Florida and Florida Golf Coast, who go head-to-head on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m.
Imani Dorsey opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a curling strike from 25 yards out and the game opened up from there. The Blue Devils went on to find goals from Taylor Racioppi in the 26th, Christina Gibbons in the 37th, Kayla McCoy in the 47th and Toni Payne in the 57th minutes.
The Dukes (14-7-2) battled hard for 90 minutes despite the disparity in scoring. JMU trailed in shots, 15-6, but found an advantage in corner kick opportunities at 6-1. Junior forward Ashley Herndon led the Dukes with two shots, one of which landed on goal while redshirt senior goalkeeper Ellen Forrest collected two saves.
James Madison's season comes to an end with a 5-2-2 conference record and 14-7-2 record overall. The Dukes won their fourth Colonial Athletic Association title to earn their 11th NCAA Tournament berth in the 26-year history of the program.
NOTEWORTHY With the James Madison women's soccer program in its 26th season, tonight's match was the first ever meeting between the Dukes and Blue Devils.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY In 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, the Dukes now hold a record of 9-11. Eight of the 11 appearances produced at least one win with a program-record two NCAA Tournament wins coming in the 2008 season.
PHOTO OF THE NIGHT Ashley Herndon balances on one leg as she attempts to control a pass with a Duke defender tightly covering her.
ELSEWHERE IN THE CAA The 2015 NCAA Tournament was the first in history to feature four teams from the Colonial Athletic Association. Also in action tonight, UNCW defeated South Carolina, 2-0. On tomorrow's slate, Hofstra will take on Georgetown at 1 p.m. while William & Mary will go head-to-head with UCF at 7 p.m.
QUOTING COACH LOMBARDO "We ran into a very hot, very rested Duke team tonight," said head coach David Lombardo. "I couldn't be more proud of what this team has accomplished this season and I credit their hard work and commitment that these kids have put into the program."