July 10, 2006
Two Duquesne University women's soccer players and three men's have been named to the 2006 Atlantic 10 preseason soccer All-Conference team in a vote conducted by league head coaches. Junior midfielder Audra Mathews (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) and sophomore defender Emily Sedgwick (Syracuse, N.Y./The Loomis Chaffey School) were selected to the women's squad while senior keeper Zach Varga (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield), senior defender Noah Salsi (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) and junior midfielder Travis MacKenzie (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) have been named from the men's team.
Mathews and Sedgwick were both named to the 2005 Atlantic 10 All-Conference list with Sedgwick taking first team and Mathews earning second team laurels. Mathews led DU in assists (8), points (18) and shots (72) and scored five goals. She recorded the game-winning goals vs. Jacksonville and Richmond. Sedgwick aided in the Dukes' recording five shutouts and was a key contributor on defense. She recorded three assists and her lone goal was the game-winner in the up-set over Charlotte.
Varga and MacKenzie each earned All-Atlantic 10 first team honors in 2005 with Varga taking the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. Salsi reigned as the A-10's Academic Student Athlete of the Year. Varga posted a league-best nine shutouts and had a league-leading 0.71 goals against average. MacKenzie was named a 2005 Mid-Atlantic Regional All-American after ending the season tied for the team-lead in scoring with 13 points. He posted a team-best five goals, including a team-high four game-winners while adding three assists. Salsi recorded three goals and two assists for eight points and launched the game-winner vs. Western Michigan.
The Duquesne women are under the direction of fourth-year head coach James Walker and return seven starters from last year's 10-6-1 squad. His Dukes earned a berth to the A-10 tournament and were regionally ranked by Soccer Buzz Magazine.
The DU men will be led by first year head coach Jake Ouimet who inherits a squad which finished the 2005 season 13-5-0 and snagged a share of the A-10 regular season championship. The Dukes advanced to the Atlantic 10 tournament and were nationally ranked in three of the four major college soccer polls at one point or another during the season.
