PITTSBURGH - A second-half brace from Zach Mowka (70' & 83') powered second-seeded Duquesne (11-3-4) to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over seventh-seed La Salle (5-9-4) in the quarterfinal of the Atlantic 10 Championship Saturday night on a windswept Rooney Field.

The win, which upped DU's school record home unbeaten streak to 16 games (13-0-3, 6-0-2 this year) avenged a regular season-ending 1-0 defeat at La Salle last Saturday.

The Dukes, playing their first home A-10 Championship game in program history, fell behind 1-0 when La Salle's Rodio Giammarco scored in the 56th minute.

DU turned up the pressure and earned a penalty kick when Maxi Hopfer was taken down in the box. Mowka, who hadn't played in Duquesne's three previous games, potted the PK in the 70th minute for his first goal of the season.

The sophomore then struck again when Cameron Territo rifled a shot that was saved off the crossbar to Mowka, who headed the ball past La Salle keeper Valentin Kneis.

This is the first time that Duquesne - which advanced to the A-10 title game last season - has posted A-10 Championship opening round wins in back-to-back seasons.

Duquesne's 11 wins, which are two shy of the school record, are its most since the 2006 team finished 11-7-2.

By virtue of its No. 2 seed, Duquesne will host a semifinal game vs. No. 4 seed Loyola Chicago on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on Rooney Field.

Tickets for Wednesday night's game - which will be $5 each - will be available on site only beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Students with a valid ID will be admitted for free.


HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duquesne, playing into a 15 mph headwind in the opening half, managed just a pair of shots with none on net.
• La Salle's Omri Ezra placed a shot just right of the frame from distance in the 26th minute.
• The Explorers had a 5-2 advantage playing with the wind in the opening 45 minutes.
• The two teams combined for just one shot on goal in the first half.
• Jacob Casha placed DU's first shot on goal - a header off the cross from Harper Cook - in the 51st minute.
• La Salle broke the ice on a header by Rodio Giammarco in the 56th minute.
• Duquesne had three good looks in a three-minute span when Ask Ekeland blasted a shot just high in the 60th minute, Torge Witteborg headed a ball wide left off the ensuing corner and Zach Mowka put a ball off the woodwork in the 62nd minute.
• Maxi Hopfer rifled a shot from the right side just high in the 69th as DU continued to pressure the Explorers.
• The Dukes tied it when Hopfer was fouled in the box and Zach Mowka converted a PK in the 70th minute.
• Mowka gave DU the lead for good when Cameron Territo rifled a shot that was saved off the crossbar to Mowka who headed the ball in the 83rd minute.
• The Dukes outshot the Explorers 15-12, including 13-7 in the second half.
• DU held La Salle to just two shots on goal.

DUQUESNE HEAD COACH CHASE BROOKS
"Everything we've done all season is built around moments like this. We've gone out of our way to create adversity in training every day, so we know that when our backs are against the wall we know we've got a little bit left in the tank. I think that's what we saw tonight.
    "We know we're a tough team to beat here and to have the opportunity to play in front of these fans at least one more time is super exciting. We'll see where things go from there."