PREVIEW: @DuqMSoccer vs. La Salle

Dukes host Explorers on Homecoming Weekend

PITTSBURGH - Duquesne (5-3, 1-0), coming off a 1-0 defeat at Michigan State on Tuesday, returns to Atlantic 10 play when it hosts La Salle (3-5, 0-1) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on Rooney Field (ESPN+).

The Dukes will be looking to protect their perfect home record (4-0) against an Explorers team that posted a 2-1 win at NJIT on Tuesday.

This is the second A-10 game for both schools as DU opened with a 3-1 home win over GW and La Salle suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Fordham.

Duquesne's three losses have come on the road to Power 5 schools including at then-No. 3 Pitt and at then-No. 17 Kentucky.

Duquesne had scored multiple goals versus every non-ranked opponent until it was shut out on Tuesday at MSU.

Despite the setback, DU has produced 17 goals in eight games.

This is DU's last home game until Oct. 20, as the Dukes will play their next three on the road: Oct. 2 at Davidson, Oct. 6 at VCU and Oct. 16 at Saint Joseph's.

THE SERIES VS. LA SALLE

Duquesne leads the series 11-6-3, including a 6-1-3 advantage in games in Pittsburgh.
DU has won three of the past four meetings.
La Salle ended a three-game Duquesne series win streak with a 2-1 overtime victory in Philadelphia in the last meeting between the two on Sept. 28, 2019.
La Salle is 1-4 on the road, with the win coming at NJIT (2-1) on Tuesday.

LAST GAME

Michigan State's header in the 16th minute was the difference in a 1-0 Spartans win over the Dukes on Tuesday night in rainy East Lansing, Mich.
Total shots were nearly even with MSU having a 14-12 advantage. The two teams had three shots on goal each.
Ryan Landry led DU with three shots, including two on goal.
Maxi Hopfer and Zach Mowka had two shots each for the Dukes.

AN AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE
Two of Duquesne's three 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, which was the third Power Five road game on the schedule, handed DU its third defeat.

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 (27) 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 37 saves in eight games rank sixth nationally.
His 4.62 saves per game is the second-best average in the A-10 and ranks 24th 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 (60) and career starts (54). Kendall Newman (34 games), Nate Dragisich (32 games) and Eric Zech (30 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).