Clemson upsets Duke, advances to first ACC Tournament semifinals |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 16th-ranked and fifth-seeded Clemson Tigers (13-5, 6-3 ACC) used a second-half burst to pull away from No. 10/9 and fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils (12-5, 6-3 ACC) for a 15-7 victory in the Quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Clemson moves on to the ACC Semifinal for the first time in program history, matching up with No. 1/1 and one-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels (16-0, 9-0 ACC) on Friday at 5 p.m. on ACC Network and the ESPN App.
After Duke cut Clemson’s five-goal lead down to two at 8-6, Clemson allowed just one goal over the final 26 minutes, outscoring the Blue Devils 7-1 during the span. The win was Clemson’s third of the season over a top-ten opponent and set the program record for single-season wins (13). KEY PERFORMANCES Bridget Babcock – Career-high four goals on four shots Lexi Edmonds – Four goals on five shots Natalie Shurtleff – Three goals, four draw controls Brooke Goldstein – Two goals, four assists Emily Lamparter – 11 saves; .611 save percentage NOTABLES Clemson scored on eight of its 11 shots on goal in the first half and the Tiger attack put 20 of its 26 shots on goal for the game, scoring on 15. Clemson entered the game ranked fifth nationally with 12.06 caused turnovers per game – The Tigers forced nine in the first half and 14 in the game. Babcock registered her first career hat trick in her 52nd career game and finished with a career-high four goals. Lamparter entered the game with 394 career saves and added 11, surpassing the 400-save milestone. Katie Castiello’s third-quarter goal was the 100th of her career and 19th at Clemson. Shurtleff, a First Team All-ACC selection, added a hat trick, her fourth of the season and first since the first meeting with Duke on Mar. 8. Goldstein had two goals and three assists, breaking Sofia Chepenik’s freshman points record (52). Goldstein has 17 goals and 38 assists (55 points) in 2025. Goldstein has points in 16 consecutive games. HOW IT HAPPENED Duke opened the scoring 2:44 into the contest, but the Tigers would score the next seven goals and did not allow another goal for 22:01 of gameplay. Babcock scored Clemson’s first goal with 8:47 to play in the first quarter on a feed from Castiello. Babcock would later add goals at 3:12 in the first quarter from Marshall and 8:36 in the second quarter unassisted to record her first career hat trick. Goldstein added two goals in the run and also added an assist to Edmonds right before halftime surpassing the 50-point milestone for the season Duke struck back with five of the next six goals to pull within two at 8-6 Edmonds netted her second of the game six minutes into the second half. Duke again threatened, but Lamparter’s 400th career save halted a great scoring opportunity and changed momentum. Babcock added her fourth goal of the game with 7:33 to play, and then Castiello scored her 100th career goal and 19th at Clemson to give the Tigers an 11-6 advantage with 6:39 to play in the third quarter. Both teams remained scoreless for the rest of the third quarter before Shurtleff added a pair of goals to open the fourth quarter, giving Clemson a 13-6 lead. Goldstein threaded a pass between two defenders to Shurtleff cutting to the cage for the finish. Edmonds tallied her hat trick with 6:51 to play in the contest and scored her fourth of the game with 1:28 left on a feed from Goldstein, her fourth assist of the contest. UP NEXT The Tigers will next play in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on April 25 at 5 p.m. against the No. 1/1 and one-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. All games will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Take a bow, Brooke Goldstein! WOW! 🤯 Dang, she's good! 😤 KATIE CASTIELLO = 1⃣0⃣0⃣ CAREER GOALS 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 🐅@ClemsonWlax moves on to the semifinals of the 2025 ACC Women's Lacrosse Championship! pic.twitter.com/9lSFCgCoIh
📺 ACCN || @ClemsonWlax pic.twitter.com/uN1WFd0Ymw
Babcock leads your Tigers with 3⃣ goals in the first half!
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