#6 Duke vs. #2 North Carolina at Durham Friday – GoDuke.com

The opening hit

• Duke closes out the regular season against second-ranked North Carolina on Friday at 6:00 PM on the ACC Network. The win gives the Blue Devils a share of the ACC regular season title for the second straight season, while the loss gives North Carolina the crown and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC tournament.
• Duke is on a seven-game hitting streak and has outscored its last seven opponents 18-0. Featuring one of the best defenses in the nation, Duke has allowed just five straight goals and leads the nation in goals against average and shutouts. Alaina McVeigh is the top scorer with 22 points from 10 goals and two assists. Seven different Blue Devils have at least two goals this season.
• North Carolina comes to Durham on a 21-game winning streak that dates back to Oct. 27, 2023. The Tar Heels are 14-0 this season and feature the nation’s top-scoring offense at four goals per game. Defensively, North Carolina is just as stout with a 0.38 goals against average – second nationally behind Duke.

With the numbers

59 – Junior career points Alaina McVeighranked 33rd in Duke history and just eight shy of making the top 25
27 – McVay’s career goals, 23rd in Duke history
0.28 – Goals Against Average for Duke Goalie Frederick Vollertthe lowest in the country
0.70 – Duke’s single-season goals against average record set by Laurie Stark in 1986.
11 – Shutouts for the Blue Devils this season, tied for the most in the nation with Northwestern
4.00 – Goals per game average for North Carolina this season, most nationally
13-1 goals against allowed in ACC play this season
92.7 – Duke’s defensive penalty corner efficiency, allowing just four goals in 55 opposing penalty corners
449:43 – Minutes have passed since Duke allowed a goal dating back to a 1-0 loss at Virginia on Sept. 27
55 – Penalty corners conceded by the Blue Devils in 15 games this season
122 – Penalty corners won by North Carolina in 14 games this season
1085 – Days since North Carolina’s shutout – November 12, 2021 – 56 game span

A look at the Blue Devils

• The Blue Devils are 11-4 overall with a 6-1 mark in ACC play. Duke is ranked sixth nationally and No. 4 in the RPI. All four setbacks have come against top 20 foes and three against top 10 teams. Duke has allowed just five straight goals and has 11 strikeouts. Alaina McVeigh is the top offensive threat with 10 markers this season. Ten different Blue Devils have scored.
• Defensively, Duke allows just 6.6 shots per game and 3.9 penalty corners per game. Duke leads the nation with 11 shutouts this season. in goal Frederick Vollert leads the nation with a 0.28 goals against average. The Blue Devils hold a commanding 52-12 advantage in shots, a 19-3 advantage in penalty corners and an 8-0 advantage in third quarter goals.

History of the series

• Duke and North Carolina are meeting for a combined 97 times. The Tar Heels lead the series 84-12 and have won 10 straight. Duke’s last win over North Carolina came in 2017 at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.
• Three of the last six games have been decided by one goal, including two going to extra time in the 2020-21 campaign.

A win on Friday would

• be Pam Bustin174th at Duke
• Give Duke a share of the ACC regular season crown for the second straight season and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC Championship
• It’s Duke’s 71st ACC win
• Give Duke 12-win season for 23rd overall and 10th under Bustin

Another Top 10 match

• Friday’s game against North Carolina will be the sixth top-10 game for the Blue Devils this season. Duke enters the weekend ranked No. 9, and the Tar Heels are the No. 1 seed. The Blue Devils are 2-3 in top 10 games this season and 34-49 all-time under the head coach Pam Bustin.
• Duke’s two top 10 wins are 1-0 wins over No. 4 Maryland and No. 9 Boston College. The Terrapins remain in the top 10 at No. 7. The Blue Devils will face four of the nation’s current top five teams the rest of the regular season.

What gives?

• Duke hasn’t allowed a goal since Sept. 27 and has given up just five all season. Offensively, North Carolina leads the nation with 4.00 goals per game.
• The Blue Devils have found their scoring form of late, registering 10 goals in their last four games and 17 in their last six after scoring just six in a six-match span. North Carolina has allowed just five goals all season and has nine shutouts.

Fewer shots equals fewer goals scored

• Duke is allowing opponents just 6.6 shots per game. The Blue Devils allowed double-digit hits in just two games and held each of their 15 foes below their season average. In Duke’s seven ACC contests, the Blue Devils have allowed 46 shots (6.6/gm).
• Duke’s average of 6.6 shots per game is fourth nationally, while its 2.4 shots on goal per game are first. The Tar Heels lead the nation in allowing just 5.6 shots per game and just 2.4 on goal.

The Mighty McVeigh

• ¡ Junior Alaina McVeigh returns for his second full season on grass for the Blue Devils. After missing his freshman season due to injury, McVay had a breakout year in 2023 to earn ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors and First Team All-America honors.
• ¡ McVay hasn’t missed a beat in his second season with the Blue Devils. She has 10 goals this season and has at least a point in four of her last five games. McVay has three two-goal games this season and has scored in all but three games in which Duke has scored.

Well done Charlie

• Graduate student Charlie van Oerschot is on a hot streak with a goal in four of the last five games. Each of her four scores were game-winners and two were unassisted scores.
• van Oirschot has scored in double figures in each of his three seasons as a Blue Devil and is three points away from tying his career high of 14 last season. She also had an assist on Duke’s penalty kick goal against VCU – her third of the season.

Next game

• The ACC will announce the ACC Championship bracket following the conclusion of the Duke – UNC game. Hosted by Wake Forest, Duke opens ACC Championship action on Nov. 5. The quarterfinals are on November 5, the semifinals on November 6 and the title game at 12pm on November 8.