PITTSBURGH – On Friday night, the Duquesne University women's soccer team commences its 25th season as a Division I program when the Dukes hit the road to take on No. 11 West Virginia at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium at 7:00 p.m. The Dukes will then head home to Rooney Field open their home slate against Loyola Marymount on Sunday at noon.
 
THE SERIES

• The Dukes are 0-8-2 against WVU all-time, with the two foes last meeting in 2017 (3-0).
• Sunday's game against Loyola Marymount marks the first-ever meeting between the Dukes and Lions.

 QUICK HITS

• Duquesne is coming off of a 6-9-2 2018 season, including a 6-1-2 record at Rooney Field.
• In season openers, the Dukes have posted a 10-12-2 record all-time, while putting together a 12-9-3 record in home openers.
• Al Alvine enters his eighth season at the helm of Duquesne, with a career record of 57-61-16.
• Under Alvine, the Dukes have appeared in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on three times (2015, 2016, 2017).
• The Dukes won the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2015, advancing to the NCAA Tournament, where the Dukes dropped a first-round matchup to West Virginia.
• Lauren Bell (15 pts) and Deena DeBaldo (10 pts) return as the career leading scorers.
• The Dukes welcome five freshman and a transfer to the 2019 roster.
• West Virginia, the defending Big 12 champions, earned a 15-4-4 record a season ago, earning a 6-0 win over Radford in the NCAA Tournament. WVU lost to Wake Forest in the next round on penalty kicks.  
• Loyola Marymount opens 2019 at Pitt on Friday, before making the quick trip to the Bluff on Sunday.
• A season ago, LMU went 3-13-4, dropping its final seven contests to finish the season.