DURHAM, N.C.-- For the Duke women's soccer team, this season's early matchups have been no easy feat. After opening the season with a 4-3 overtime victory against Wake Forest, the team has had two 110-minute overtime matches, marking the first time in school history the Blue Devils have opened a season with three consecutive overtime contests. Despite extended play, the team's defense was effective at holding down opposing offenses, thanks in large part to sophomore goalkeeper Ruthie Jones.
Jones made her first collegiate start last week against Virginia, which boasts one of the top offenses nationally each year. Playing the entire 110 minutes in a nasty rainstorm, Jones only allowed one goal off the 16 shots that came her way. Despite the intense weather conditions and tough match-up senior defender Mia Gyau noted that "the team wouldn't give up until the last whistle was blown" and Ruthie "did her thing, she's great."
"It's not exactly the ideal situation going into my first start," said Jones, "But I think that just heightens the intensity and sharpness especially as a goalkeeper because you know the ball's just bouncing around and anything could really happen at that point. It's just having extra focus and being extra sharp because everything you do is super important."
Having finished the game with an impressive six saves, the sophomore Blue Devil carried that same laser focus to Sunday's match against the Demon Deacons. With only two minutes before the end of regulation, Duke fouled Wake Forest inside the box giving the opposing team a penalty kick.
Ryanne Brown of Wake Forest stepped up rolled a penalty kick toward the goal. Having read the shot beautifully, Jones dove with no hesitation saving the Blue Devils from what could have been their first loss of the season.
Her impressive weekend performance earned the young goalie a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the week and in the words of Duke head coach Robbie Church and teammate Mia Gyau, "Thank goodness for Ruthie Jones."
Jones, a Charlotte, N.C., native who upon leaving high school was ranked as the third best goalkeeper in the nation, has been working diligently with her coaches and senior teammate Brooke Heinsohn to prepare for this unique season. When asked about the influence Heinsohn has had on her collegiate career Jones shared that, "ever since I came in Brooke has been such a good role model and mentor for me. She's made me feel comfortable and I'm definitely in a better position because of her support."
Because the pandemic has made way for a shorter season and fan restrictions, the team recognizes that there exists an added pressure to make each game count and provide the intensity a crowded stadium would normally give off.
"I'm just excited, not only to get the opportunity to start, but also for the fact that we get to play in these big games. That's the most important part for me, seeing it as an opportunity and trying not to be so nervous about it. It's fun and it's exciting to be able to play on such a big stage."
Feeling good about having done everything she could to put her team in a good position, Jones is ready to carry that same excitement to this Sunday's face-off against top-ranked North Carolina at Koskinen Stadium at 3:30 p.m., live on ACC Network.
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September 26, 2020 at 09:29PM
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