Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's soccer team opened a three-game road trip Tuesday, conceding a late goal to No. 21 West Virginia in dropping a 1-0 decision in Morgantown, W.Va., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Dukes dropped their first game of the 2026 season, slipping to 4-1-2 (.714) overall.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Early in the contest, the Mountaineers were able to test redshirt senior goalkeeper
Sam Coss, who was up to the task. Organized defensively, a shot from Julen Recalde less than three minutes into the game was blocked, while Pablo Pozos got an open look, but Coss sat down an made an athletic save. Pozos finished with three of the five shots in the opening 45 minutes for West Virginia before the Mountaineers applied the pressure after the break. Just over 10 minutes remaining, Recalde was at it again, getting three shots off in just under two minutes. The Dukes blocked the first while adding a pair of team saves, including perfect positioning from redshirt senior
Blaize Hardy on the final attempt, blocking the shot off his heel to clear. WVU stayed on the attack and broke through at 84:31. Dribbling down the near sideline, Harry Hogben fired the ball into the box, with Coss attempting to cut it down. The ball popped free, however, and a sliding Sammie Walker curled a shot into the upper left corner of the goal to put the Mountaineers on top.
CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
Despite the late goal, Duquesne went on the offensive and nearly found the equalizer in the final 30 seconds. The Dukes were awarded a corner kick at 89:30, and after a scrum in the box, sophomore
Alex Posada unleashed a shot that a WVU defender was able to turn away. Coss, who sprinted the length of the field, was able to get a shot off that was blocked, while a last-ditch effort from redshirt senior
Jaxon Ervin was unable to get through. Up to that point, Duquesne had managed just two shots, including one from Ervin and another from senior
Cody Da, who earned his first start on the Bluff against WVU.
NOTES
Coss, the reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week, registered a pair of saves and yielded just his third goal of the season … It marks the second consecutive year Duquesne has dropped its first game of the year against a ranked opponent by the score of 1-0 … WVU entered the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll Tuesday afternoon … The Dukes dipped to 2-11-2 (.200) all-time against ranked opposition … The Mountaineers have outscored their opponents this season, 10-1, in the second half … Redshirt freshman
Steel Bayer, a transfer from West Virginia, logged a full 90 minutes and helped keep the game scoreless in the second half with a header out of play that was in front of the goal … Posada has played all 90 minutes in each of Duquesne's first seven games this season … The Mountaineers owned a 16-5 edge in shots, including 5-1 on target.
UP NEXT
The Dukes continue their three-game road swing by returning to Atlantic 10 play Saturday, Sept. 26, with a 7:30 p.m. ET start against Saint Louis at Hermann Stadium.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and updates on Duquesne soccer, follow the Dukes on X and Instagram.
