PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne women's soccer team (2-2-2) begins Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend, hosting VCU (6-1-1) at Rooney Field on Sunday afternoon. The contest is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.

THE SERIES

• The series is tied at 3-3, with the Rams evening the series in 2018 with a 2-1 victory in Richmond.
• VCU is 2-1 at Rooney Field, but the Dukes earned a 1-0 overtime win in the latest meeting on the Bluff in 2017.

QUICK HITS

• Duquesne look to bring momentum into A-10 play after a 6-0 dominant victory over Youngstown State last Sunday.
• Duquesne's six goals in a single match are the most since the Dukes registered a 6-0 victory over Saint Francis on Sept. 23, 2016. The six scores is tied for the third-most goals in a single match in program-history.
• Deena DeBaldo was named A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week, after notching a second-half hat trick against the Penguins. She scored goals in the 46th, 59th and 78th minutes, which sparked a five-goal second half for the Dukes. She is tied for the conference lead with five goals this season.
• Natalie Bell tallied her first career goal and assist in the contest. The goal opened the scoring for the Dukes, with the assist coming from her sister, Lauren Bell.
• Jaimi Araujo also recorded her first goal of her career against Youngstown State, converting a penalty kick in the 47th minute.
• Overall, Duquesne is 10-12-1 in A-10 openers, last earning a win in the first conference game of a season in a 1-0 victory over Richmond at Rooney Field.
• VCU holds an A-10 best 6-1-1 record on the season, with its lone blemish coming in a 4-3 loss to Old Dominion.
• The Rams were picked to finish second in the conference's preseason poll, earning 176 total points.
• VCU ranks third in the nation and first in the A-10 in shots per game (22.38) and 15th nationally and second in the A-10 in shots on goal per game (8.88).
• The Rams rank first in the A-10 in corners per game (7.13), points per game (7.13), scoring offense (2.63), total assists (15), total goals (21), total points (57).
• VCU sports a balanced offense, with 11 different players scoring goals this season. Emma Kershner and Amanda Tredway have each recorded three goals to lead the team.