Top-ranked West Virginia completed the Women’s College Cup field when it beat Duke, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon. The win sends the Mountaineers into the semifinals against North Carolina. USC andGeorgetown meet in Friday’s other semifinal at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium.
Alli Magaletta‘s third goal of the season off passes from Kadeisha Buchanan and Michaela Abamin the 16th minute held up for the winner for West Virginia, which is making its first trip to the final four. The goal was the third of the season for Magaletta, a transfer from Missouri.
Buchanan and fellow 2016 Olympic bronze-medalist Ashley Lawrence, both seniors, lead a group of seven Mountaineer starters from Canada.
The Blue Devils had an 11-3 edge in shotsin the second half but could not find the equalizer. They were seeking to return to the College Cup in back-to-back seasons for the first time. Duke is now 3-6 in NCAA quarterfinals.
Nov. 26 in Morgantown, W.Va.
West Virginia 1 Duke 0. Goals: Magaletta (Buchanan, Abam) 16.
West Virginia — Foster,Pierre-Louis, St. Georges, Mayi Kith, Buchanan, Magaletta, Lawrence, Portillo, Kaleiohi, Abam, Gordon. Subs: Cutler, Woolpert, Abraham.
Duke — Proctor, Burns, Raben, Debree, Reid,Stevens, Dorsey, Gibbons, Erlbeck, Miller, Payne. Subs: Martinez, McDonald, Gyau.