PREVIEW: @DUQMSoccer at Howard

Dukes head to D.C. to face the Bison on Sunday afternoon

Duquesne (2-1), coming off back-to-back overtime home wins over local foes Robert Morris and Saint Francis U, heads to Washington, D.C. to face Howard (0-0-2) at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 5 at Greene Stadium (no live stream).

The Dukes, who opened with three games in six days, bounced back from an opening loss at No. 3 Pitt on Aug. 26 to defeat RMU, 3-2, on a goal in the 107th minute last Sunday and SFU, 4-3, on a goal at the 95-minute mark on Tuesday night.

Duquesne's season goal total (7) has already exceeded its total (5) in its seven 2021 spring matches.

This is the first time since 2015 that DU has scored three or more goals in consecutive games.

Howard, which opened with a 3-3 tie at Monmouth and a 1-1 home draw with Atlantic 10 member George Washington, has been idle since the Monday draw with GW.

THE SERIES VS. HOWARD

Duquesne leads the series 2-0, with both meetings coming at home in the Duquesne Invitational - a 4-0 win in 2012 followed by a 1-0 victory in 2013.
DU head coach Chase Brooks is 1-0 vs. the Bison.

LAST GAME

Zach Mowka scored off passes from Domenic Nascimben and Maxi Hopfer in the 95th minute to give the Dukes a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Saint Francis U. on Tuesday night on Rooney Field.
Hopfer had a five-point night for the Dukes with a pair of goals (15' & 65') to go along with the assist on the game-winner.
Nate Dragisich (74') also found the back of the net for the Dukes whose four goals were its most since a 2019 4-0 win over St. Bonaventure.
Six Dukes registered assists.
In addition to logging an assist, DU keeper Domenic Nascimben, who faced 12 shots on goal, tied his career high with nine saves.
The game was played in a steady rain as the remnants from hurricane Ida entered western Pennsylvania.

AN AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE
Duquesne is facing four teams who were either ranked (#3 Pitt & #14 Kentucky) or among those also receiving votes (Dayton & UMass) in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25.

THIS YEAR

Duquesne's seven goals are its most in a two-game span since the first two games of 2017.
The seven goal total has already exceeded the team's total (5) in its seven 2021 spring matches.
This is the first time since 2015 that DU has scored three or more goals in consecutive games.
Maxi Hopfer, a member of the 2020 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, leads the Dukes with five points - all of which came in the Aug. 31 4-3 win over Saint Francis U (a pair of goals and assist on the game-winner).
Hopfer leads the team in both shots (12) and shots on goal (6).
Six players have accounted for the Dukes' seven goals.
In addition, seven players have registered one assist for DU.
Junior Domenic Nascimben played every minute in net in the spring for the Dukes. Nascimben, a native of Sydney, Australia, stopped 34 shots in seven games. His 4.86 saves per game ranked 11th nationally. Nascimben had six saves in the opener at No. 3 Pitt and added a career high-tying nine in the 4-3 win over Saint Francis U. He also registered his first career point with a secondary assist on the game-winning goal vs. the Red Flash.
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 (55) and career starts (49). Kendall Newman (34 games), Eric Zech (27 games) and Nate Dragisich (27 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).