McCabe, Jayhawks shock No. 12 Duke
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Shannon McCabe’s goal with 26 second remaining in regulation gave Kansas a 4-3 come-from behind victory over No. 12 Duke in the final day at the UAB Classic Sunday at West Campus Field. The Jayhawks, who defeated Alabama on Friday, won the tournament with two triumphs over the weekend.
KU improves to 4-1 overall on the season while the Blue Devils drop to 3-2.
Down 2-0 early in the second half, the Jayhawks scored four times in the final 24 minutes.
The barrage ended with McCabe’s first career goal. The freshman made a long run to into the box following a goal kick and a pass from fellow freshman Monica Dolinsky. McCabe beat her defender to the ball and flipped a shot over the keeper from just inside the 18-yard box.
The goal came just eight minutes after Dolinsky tied the match with her fourth goal of the season. Dolinsky and freshman Kim Boyer played give-and-go down the near side of the field deep in Duke territory. After receiving the ball outside the box, Boyer returned the pass setting up Dolinsky perfectly to tie the match at 3-3 at 81:27.
Senior Holly Gault scored a pair of second-half goals for the Jayhawks. Down 2-0, Gault took a long pass from Jessica Bush, and beat the keeper with a shot to the near side at 66:13.
Later in the half, After Duke’s KayAnne Gummersall gave the Blue Devils a 3-1 lead, Gault and senior Lacey Novak responded eight seconds later. Following the kickoff, Novak sent another long pass to Gault, who beat her defender and tapped in her second goal of the match at 69:01. It was Gault’s second career multi-goal game, and first since scoring twice against Pepperdine last season.
Kansas held an 8-4 advantage in shots during the second half, and had three more corner kicks than the 12th-ranked Blue Devils. This was also Kansas’ first win over an opponent ranked in the top 12, since the Jayhawks defeated Clemson, ranked seventh, 3-1, on Sept. 11, 2004.
It also marks the fourth victory over a Top 25 opponent for KU since the beginning of the 2004 season.
UAB defeated Alabama 1-0 in double overtime in the second match of the day. Following the contest, the tournament committee named the all-tournament team. The all-tournament team, which is voted on by the coaches, consisted of Shannon McCabe (Kansas), Monica Dolinsky (Kansas), Missy Geha (Kansas), Jenny Murtaugh (Kansas), Darby Kroyer (Duke), Rebecca Moros (Duke), Sarah McCabe (Duke), Laura Richards (UAB), Rachel Axon (UAB), Hayley MacDonald (Alabama) and Jordan O’Banion (Alabama). The MVP of the UAB Nike Classic was Kansas’ Holly Gault by a unanimous vote.
Kansas (4-1) will play host to Pepperdine next Friday at 5 p.m., at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
