PITTSBURGH - Duquesne (5-2, 1-0), winner of five of its past six, heads to East Lansing, Mich. for a clash with Michigan State (3-3-1) on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 pm (B1G+).

This is the second-to-last non-conference game for the Dukes who will host Wright State on Oct. 26.

DU, whose two losses have come on the road to nationally ranked Power 5 teams (at then-No. 3 Pitt and at then-No. 17 Kentucky), are 1-2 away from home with a 2-1 win at Howard on Sept. 5.

Duquesne, who has scored multiple goals vs. every non-ranked opponent, has 17 goals in seven games. DU had seven goals in the seven-game spring season that concluded on April 10.

The Dukes are coming off an Atlantic 10-opening 3-1 home win over George Washington on Saturday.

DU returns to Atlantic 10 Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 25 when it welcomes La Salle for a Homecoming Weekend matchup at 7:00 p.m. on Rooney Field (ESPN+).


THE SERIES VS. MICHIGAN STATE

• Michigan State leads the series 2-0-1.
• This is the fourth-straight time the two will meet in East Lansing.
• This is the first meeting between the two since No. 15 MSU defeated DU 2-1 on Sept. 22, 2010.
• The Spartans are 2-2 at home with wins over Cleveland State (2-1) and Oakland (3-1) and losses to Akron (1-2) and Bowling Green (0-3).
• This is MSU's first home game since the Sept. 6 Bowling Green game.
• Michigan State was picked to finish fifth in the B1G preseason coaches poll.

LAST GAME

• Ryan Landry had a pair of assists and Logan Muck (33'), Ryan Goodhew (49') and Zach Mowka (71') found the back of the net as the Dukes rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat George Washington, 3-1, in the Atlantic 10 opener for both schools at DU's Rooney Field.
• DU outshot GW 12-9, including 7-3 on goal.
• There were a total of 12 yellow cards assessed (six for each team).
• Duquesne was called for 18 fouls to 11 for the Colonials.
• Domenic Nascimben had a pair of saves in goal for DU.

AN AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE
Duquesne's two losses have come on the road to nationally-ranked teams (at then-No. 3 Pitt and at then-No. 17 Kentucky). In addition to the Panthers and Wildcats, DU is facing another team among those also receiving votes in the current United Soccer Coaches Top 25 (VCU). Michigan State is the third Power Five road game on the schedule.


THIS YEAR

• DU's 17 goal total has more than tripled the team's total (5) in its seven 2021 spring matches.
• Maxi Hopfer, a member of the 2020 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, leads the Dukes with 14 points including braces vs. both Saint Francis U and Canisius.
• Hopfer, who leads the Dukes in points (14), goals (5), assists (4), shots (25) and shots on goal (12), began the week leading the Atlantic 10 in both shots and shots per game (2.0).
• Six players have accounted for the Dukes' 17 goals with Hopfer (5), Ryan Goodhew (3), Zach Mowka (3), Nate Dragisich (2), Ryan Landry (2) and Logan Muck (2) all multiple goal scorers.
• Eleven players have registered at least one assist for DU.
• Junior Domenic Nascimben has played every minute in net for the Dukes. His 35 saves in seven games began the week ranked fifth-most nationally.
• His 5.0 saves per game is the second-best average in the A-10 and ranks 19th nationally.
• Nascimben had six saves in the opener at No. 3 Pitt, a career high-tying nine in the 4-3 win over Saint Francis U, seven at No. 17 Kentucky and six in a shutout win over Canisius. He also registered his first career point with a secondary assist on the game-winning goal vs. SFU. He was named A-10 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 20 (following the shutout win over Canisius and 3-1 victory over GW).
• DU's 2021 captains are #1 Domenic Nascimben (GK) and #17 Ryan Landry (D/M).

PROGRAM NOTES

• Duquesne is in its ninth season under head coach Chase Brooks. Brooks has led the Dukes to three Atlantic 10 Conference tournament appearances (2013, 2015 & 2016).
• The Dukes return 10 of 11 starters from the 2021 spring roster including M/F Ade Akinjogbin, M Rodrigo Albayeros, D Jacob Benintendi, M/F Nate Dragisich, F Maxi Hopfer, D/M Ryan Landry, D Kendall Newman, D Eric Zech and GK Domenic Nascimben. In addition, D Jaime Borjas started all four games he played in the spring.
• A total of 15 players made their Duquesne debut in the spring.
• DU returns just six players from its 2019 roster.
• Fifth-year defender/midfielder Ryan Landry leads all returnees in career games played (59) and career starts (53). Kendall Newman (34 games), Nate Dragisich (31 games) and Eric Zech (29 games) are the only other field players who entered the season with more than seven games of experience in a Duquesne uniform.
• The Dukes have eight transfers in junior M/F Ade Akinjogbin (Wofford), sophomore M Rodrigo Albayeros (Florida Atlantic), sophomore D Jacob Benintendi (Xavier), junior D Jaime Borjas (Graceland U.), sophomore M Harper Cook (American), freshman F Jayden Da (Washington & Jefferson), junior M Logan Muck (Evansville) and sophomore D Torge Witteborg (Ottawa University-Arizona). Cook and Da joined the team this summer, the other six participated in the spring season.
• Duquesne has produced the 14th-most Men's Soccer Academic All-Americas (11) over the past 20 years.
• DU has been recognized by the United Soccer Coaches for its outstanding academic performance with a Team Academic Award (minimum 3.0 team GPA) 19 times in the past 22 years. No other Atlantic 10 men's soccer program has been recognized more than Duquesne since the award was instituted in 1996.
• Duquesne produced at least one Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team member in seven of the past eight years including current roster members Ryan Landry (2016), Nate Dragisich (2019) and Maxi Hopfer (2020).

CAREER LEADERS
Goals
Maxi Hopfer (7), Nate Dragisich (5), Ryan Landry (4), Ryan Goodhew (3), Zach Mowka (3), Logan Muck (3), Eric Zech (1)
Assists
Ryan Landry (9), Nate Dragisich (8), Maxi Hopfer (4), Zach Mowka (3), Ade Akinjogbin (1), Jaime Borjas (1), Jayden Da (1), Jack Emanuel (1), Ryan Goodhew (1), Logan Muck (1), Domenic Nascimben (1), Tom Tzabari (1), Eric Zech (1)
Points
Nate Dragisich (18), Maxi Hopfer (18), Ryan Landry (17), Zach Mowka (9), Ryan Goodhew (7), Logan Muck (7), Eric Zech (3), Ade Akinjogbin (1), Jaime Borjas (1), Jayden Da (1), Jack Emanuel (1), Domenic Nascimben (1), Tom Tzabari (1)
Games
Ryan Landry (59), Kendall Newman (34), Nate Dragisich (31), Eric Zech (29), Domenic Nascimben (20)
Starts
Ryan Landry (53), Kendall Newman (30), Nate Dragisich (30), Eric Zech (28), Domenic Nascimben (19)

Logan Muck (49/25) played in 36 games with 21 starts at Evansville
Ade Akinjogbin (32/23) played in 20 games with 14 starts at Wofford
Rodrigo Albayeros (20/6) played in seven games at Florida Atlantic
Harper Cook (19/5)played in 12 games with two starts at American

2021 ATLANTIC 10 AWARD WINNERS
Sept. 7 - Maxi Hopfer - Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 20 - Domenic Nascimben - Defensive Player of the Week