The Duquesne lacrosse team will open Atlantic 10 play this weekend with two matches on Rooney Field. The Dukes will take on Saint Joseph's on Friday, March 25 at 4 p.m. and close out the weekend with Massachusetts on Sunday, March 27 at 1 p.m.
 
Both matches will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
THE SERIES vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S
The Dukes lead the all-time series with the Hawks 14-8, however St. Joe's has won each of the last six meetings. The last two games have been decided by less than two goals.
 
The last time Duquesne defeated Saint Joseph's was a 16-1 thumping at Rooney Field in 2015.
 
THE SERIES vs. UMASS
The Minutewomen have won 21 of the 27 all-time meetings, including each of the last 14 games against the Dukes.
 
The last time Duquesne defeated UMass was a 12-10 victory at Rooney Field in 2010.
 
SCOUTING THE DUKES

• Mackenzie Leszczynski is the reigning A-10 Defensive Player of the Week.
• She scored four goals while scooping three ground balls, winning seven draw controls and forcing four turnovers in a Dukes win over Butler on Sunday.
• She ranks second on the team with eight caused turnovers this season and fifth on the Dukes with nine goals.
• Sam King and Tina St. Clair are tied for the team lead with 16 goals each.
• Both have assisted on two goals to slot second on the team with 18 points.
• St. Clair matched a career-high with five goals in the team's win this past Sunday versus Butler.
• King, a true-freshman, matched a season-high with four goals in the team's setback to Ohio State on March 10.
• Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw leads the team with five assists and ranks second on the team with 15 goals. She also is tied for the team-lead with 18 draw controls and 19 ground balls.
• Rodriguez-Shaw, who is also a true-freshman, matched a season-high with four goals in the team's win over Butler.
• Alana Piano leads the team with 14 caused turnovers and is tied with Rodriguez-shaw with both 19 ground balls and 18 draw controls.
• Piano has also chipped in 11 goals on the season to slot fourth on the Dukes.
• Corinne Desrosiers is in her fourth season at the helm of the Duquesne program.
• The Dukes were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
• Duquesne is coming off of a 4-5 campaign in 2021.

 
SCOUTING THE SAINT JOSEPH'S

• St. Joe's is 4-4 on the season.
• The only common opponent for the Dukes and Hawks is Penn State.
• The Nittany Lions defeated Saint Joseph's 17-8 on March 12, after beating Duquesne 18-4 in late February.
• St. Joe's is coming off of a 19-8 win over Delaware in which 12 different players recorded a goal.
• Lauren Figura scored her 100^th career goal in the win over the Blue Hens.
• She leads the team and ranks second in the A-10 with 24 goals. She is also fourth in the A-10 with 28 points.
• Figura is attempting a league-high 5.0 shots on-goal per game.
• Lisa Ross slots second in the A-10 with 13 assists.
• Sophia Kolkka is fourth in the league with 4.75 draw controls per game.
• Alex Kahoe is in her eighth season as head coach.
• The Hawks were picked to finish second in the A-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

 
SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN

• UMass enters the weekend 6-2 on the season. They will play at St. Bonaventure on Friday before coming to Pittsburgh.
• The Minutewomen were ranked No. 22 in the most recent IWLCA Top-25 poll released by the organization on March 14.
• UMass leads the A-10 in a myriad of team categories, including scoring offense, shots, shot percentage and turnovers per game.
• The Minutewomen lead the league and rank fifth in Division I with 12.12 caused turnovers per game.
• UMass features three of the top-five goal scorers in the A-10.
• Kendra Harbinger enters the weekend leading the league with 25 goals, while Alex Finn and Kelly Marra are tied for fifth with 18, apiece.
• Harbinger is third in the A-10 with 30 points entering the weekend.
• Defensively, Audra Tosone leads the A-10 and ranks 10^th in the NCAA with 2.00 caused turnovers per game. She also slots second with 2.88 ground balls per game.
• Angela McMahon-Serpone is in her 12th season as head coach. She is a six-time A-10 Coach of the Year and has led the Minutewomen to eight NCAA Tournament berths during her tenure.
• UMass was picked as the favorite to win the league in the A-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

 
NEXT UP
Duquesne will hit the road for a pair of contests in Virginia next weekend. The Dukes will take on Richmond on Friday, April 1 at 4 p.m., before closing out the weekend at VCU on Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m.