With a second half comeback sealed by senior attacker Grace Muller's game-winning goal, No. 14 Notre Dame secured its first ACC win of the season with a 12-11 victory over No. 8 Duke in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead before two more three-goal runs, one each for Duke and Notre Dame, had the Fighting Irish trailing 6-3 at halftime.
Notre Dame tallied back-to-back goals from sophomore attacker Nikki Ortega and junior midfielder Molly Cobb to open the second period, but Duke junior midfielder Maddie Crutchfield responded with a goal at the 17:21 mark in a 3-2 span to keep the Blue Devils ahead by two three minutes later.
Cobb brought the Irish back within one before scoring the first game-tying goal with 11:16 remaining in the game. Notre Dame sophomore midfielder Samantha Lynch tied it 10-10 and 11-11 at the 7:52 and 2:02 marks, respectively, and Muller recorded the game-winner for her first goal of the game 33 seconds later.
The Irish were led by four-goal performances from both Cobb and Lynch, while freshman midfielder Savannah Buchanan added two goals. Senior midfielder Alex Dalton had a team-high six draw controls and sophomore goalie Samantha Giacolone tallied six saves in the win.
Sophomore attacker Olivia Jenner paced the Blue Devils with seven points on four goals and three assists. Crutchfield and freshman midfielder Catherine Cordrey added two goals apiece. Sophomore keeper Jamie Lockwood had 12 saves.
Notre Dame and Duke played evenly on the draw, but the Irish had the edge in ground balls (25-23) and shots (32-22).
In seven games this season, the Irish have outscored their opponents 60-22 in the second half, extending their win streak to six since a season-opening loss to Northwestern.
Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20 Scoreboard
No. 3 USC 18, Stetson 3
No. 11 Colorado 18, UC Davis 5
No. 16 Towson, Loyola 8
Division II
Lindenwood Upsets Florida Southern
In a rematch of the 2016 national semifinal game, a 15-11 win for the Mocs, No. 3 Lindenwood flipped the script against No. 1 Florida Southern, winning 14-11 behind a career-high eight-point effort from senior attacker Rachel Benzing. The victory marks the first time in program history that the Lady Lions defeated a top-ranked opponent.
Rachel Benzing, Morgan Judd, and Rachel Ortell of @LUwomensLAX discuss the victory over No. 1 Florida Southern https://t.co/g1Ju2alHvf
— Lindenwood Athletics (@LU_Lions) February 26, 2017