The seniors on the Utah women's soccer team remembered a regular-season game at Duke two years ago, when they led the Blue Devils until the 82nd minute, only to give up two goals in a game-deciding sequence.
That experience gave the Utes some confidence going into an NCAA Tournament first-round game Friday night, but the Blue Devils didn't wait nearly as long to assert themselves this time. Emily Duerr's second goal of the game, early in the second half, gave Duke control in an eventual 4-0 victory at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Duerr had given the Blue Devils (9-3-7) a 1-0 halftime lead in the 31st minute. Her second goal came in the 51st minute, then Tess Boade (66th) and Mackenzie Pluck (88th) completed the rout of Utah (8-9-4).
The Blue Devils dominated game from the start and finished with 15 shots to Utah's four, including eight shots on goal.
Utah, one of nine teams from the Pac-12 to make the NCAA field, likely was one of the last two teams selected Monday. The Utes earned their berth with a late surge that included 1-0 wins over Washington and Colorado, sending them to postseason play for the eighth time in coach Rich Manning’s 18 years at Utah.
Follow @tribkurt