No. 6/7 Clemson Tigers Set for Ranked Showdown Against Duke on Military Appreciation Day

Clemson Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Allison Kwolek (Photo By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

The No. 6/7 Clemson Tigers (6-0, 2-0 ACC) are set to host the No. 17/18 Duke Blue Devils (4-2, 1-1 ACC) on Saturday, March 8 at 12 p.m. at the Clemson Lacrosse Complex. This marks the first time Clemson has been ranked in the top 10 after upsetting Notre Dame and Syracuse. Their current six-game winning streak is the longest in program history. Duke presents another challenging conference opponent, but Clemson thus far has proven their resilience.

Duke enters Saturday’s contest on a two-game winning streak, most recently defeating Xavier 16-9. On offense, the Blue Devils are led by Carly Bernstein. The senior attacker has a team-high 26 points off 14 goals and 12 assists. She was recently added to the 2025 Tewaaraton Award Watch List, along with teammate Callie Hem. Hem has also been a force on offense, recording a hat trick in their last game to tie a team-high 16 goals on the season. Duke’s offense can come from anyone as they average 8 assists per game, ranking third in the conference.

Ranked second in the conference, Kennedy Everson is averaging 3.17 ground balls per game. The goalkeeper has collected 19 ground balls, more than double any other Blue Devil. In their win over Notre Dame, she tallied a career-high 7. Additionally, in the cage, Everson has recorded 49 saves for a 47.1% save rate.

Clemson’s offense is on fire, dominating their most recent opponent Queens 25-5. In the victory, Regan Byrne led the team with five goals. The scoring came from all over though, as Clemson had 11 other players find the back of the net. On the season, four Tigers have already recorded double-digit goals with Kayla MacLeod leading the way with 20. Brooke Goldstein has been the main distributor, posting 14 assists. All of this strength has led to Clemson ranking third in the nation in scoring offense, totaling 17 goals per game.

Freshman Kira Balis' absolute dominance in the center circle cannot go without mention. She set a program record with 20 draw control wins against Queens and is averaging 11.50 draw controls per game. In only her first few games, Balis has led the draw control unit to being one of the best in the nation. Winning here has established the possession game for Clemson, allowing more opportunities for the offense to thrive.

Clemson will be looking to extend its program-historic season in an exciting showdown against Duke on Saturday. Arrive early as the first 500 fans will receive free t-shirts. This ranked conference duel is one you won’t want to miss.