No. 25 Duquesne (6-0-1, 1-0-0) will be taking the field as a ranked team for the first time in 17 years, when it begins a stretch of three consecutive road games at Massachusetts (5-0-3, 0-0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
DU, which has been idle since a 2-1 Atlantic 10-opening win over Loyola Chicago last Saturday, moved into the
United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time since November of 2005 on Tuesday.
The Dukes, who knocked Loyola from the unbeaten ranks last weekend, face a Minutemen team that enters the weekend as
one of four remaining A-10 teams without a loss this season. Duquesne, Dayton (5-0-1) and Rhode Island (4-0-4) are the others.
The 2022 Dukes, who are the first team in program history to start 5-0, have tied the school record for most games without a loss to open a season set in 2002 (5-0-2) and tied by
Chase Brooks' Dukes in 2019 (6-0-1).
The Dukes, who are 3-0-1 on the road this season, have already exceeded last year's road win total (2-7-1).
UMass, coming off a 3-3 non-conference home draw with UMass Lowell on Tuesday, is 3-0-1 at home this season.
Duquesne (+13) and UMass (+12) ranked tied for ninth and tied for 15th nationally in goal differential through Wednesday.
Following the UMass game, DU will head to Ohio for a non-conference match at No. 15 Akron (Sept. 28), before returning to A-10 play at George Washington on Oct. 1.
THE SERIES VS. UMASS
- UMass leads the series 9-6-4, including a 5-3-2 edge in games at Amherst.
- DU is 0-2-1 vs. the Minuteman since its last series win on Oct. 28, 2012 (1-0 in OT at UMass).
- Last year the two battled to a 0-0 2OT tie on Rooney Field. DU had 29 shots, including nine from Maxi Hopfer, in the draw.
LAST GAME
- Christoffer Vie Angell (3') and Tom Tzabari (58') scored as the Dukes opened A-10 play with a 2-1 home win over previously unbeaten Loyola Chicago on Rooney Field.
- The game was Loyola's first event as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
- Nate Dragisich assisted on Vie Angell's goal. It was his fifth-straight game with an assist.
- Tzabari's strike, from 30-plus yards out, found the upper 90.
- Domenic Nascimben had seven saves for DU.
TEAM NOTES
- Duquesne has tied the school record for most games without a loss (seven) to open a season.
- Duquesne opened with three consecutive road games (all wins) for the first time in program history.
- DU got off to the first 5-0 start in program history.
- Duquesne's three-straight road wins to start the season were one shy of the school record for consecutive road victories (accomplished three times). DU was 2-7-1 on the road last season.
- DU is undefeated in its past 11 home games (10-0-1, 3-0 this year). The last home loss occurred during the pandemic-related spring season on Mar. 27, 2021 (2-0 to St. Bonaventure).
- Duquesne's season-opening 1-0 win at Michigan was the program's first victory over a Power 5 team since 2003.
- DU's seven goals in the 7-0 win over Howard tied the third-highest single-game goal total in program history. The seven scores were the most since a school record 10 in a 10-0 win over Fordham in 2002.
- DU (10-7-2 last year) is looking to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 2005 & 2006.
- Duquesne's captains for 2022 are M Nate Dragisich, F Maxi Hopfer, GK Domenic Nascimben and D Torge Witteborg.
DUQUESNE MOST GAMES WITHOUT A LOSS TO OPEN A SEASON
 7 |
 6-0-1 in 2022* |
 7 |
 6-0-1 in 2019* |
 7 |
 5-0-2 in 2002 |
* - under head coach Chase Brooks
PRESEASON HONORS
- Maxi Hopfer and Nate Dragisich were both named to the 12-man A-10 Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Hopfer was also named as one of United Soccer Coaches' 30 Division I "Forwards to Watch."
- Duquesne was picked to finish 7th of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll. The top eight regular season finishers qualify for the Atlantic 10 Championship.
QUICK HITS
- Duquesne is in its tenth season under head coach Chase Brooks. Brooks has led the Dukes to four Atlantic 10 Conference tournament appearances (2013, 2015, 2016 & 2021), including an A-10 Championship game appearance - the program's first since 2002 - last season.
- DU has 16 newcomers - including 10 freshmen - on the 2021 roster.
- Incoming transfers include: D Anthony Harding (Pitt), Tate Mohney (Elizabethtown), Jesper Moksnes (Virginia), Cameron Territo (Western Illinois) and Christoffer Vie Angell (UAB). All five have played significant early-season roles.
- Duquesne's 16 goals have come from 10 players. Freshman Ask Ekeland and junior Torge Witteborg lead the team with three scores each.
- Maxi Hopfer, a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-Atlantic 10 performer in 2021, leads the Dukes with 14 career goals (one this season). The Styria, Austria native, who made the A-10 All-Rookie team as a freshman, led the Dukes in points (28) and goals (11) last season.
- Hopfer led the Atlantic 10 in shots and shots on goal per game. His 11 goals ranked second in the conference.
- Fourth-year junior M/F Nate Dragisich, who earned Second Team All-A-10 honors as well as a spot on the A-10 All-Championship Team in 2021, leads all returnees in career games played (50) and started (49). Dragisich has posted a point in six of seven games, including a past five in a row. His six assists lead the Atlantic 10 and rank tied for fifth nationally (through Wednesday).
- Graduate student Domenic Nascimben has played every minute in net for the Dukes for the past two-plus seasons (includes the abbreviated 2021 spring campaign). Nascimben, a native of Sydney, Australia, has posted four shutouts in DU's first seven games. He turned away a career-high 11 shots - including penalty kicks in the 82nd and 87th minute - in the 7-0 win over Howard.
- Nascimben's .917 save percentage ranked fourth nationally through Wednesday's games.
- DU has been recognized by the United Soccer Coaches for its outstanding academic performance with a Team Academic Award (minimum 3.0 team GPA) 20 times in the past 23 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 eight of the past nine years including current roster members Nate Dragisich (2019), Maxi Hopfer (2020) & Jack Emanuel (2021).
CAREER LEADERS
(at Duquesne only)
Goals
Maxi Hopfer (14),
Nate Dragisich (8),
Zach Mowka (5),
Ryan Goodhew (5),
Logan Muck (4),
Ask Ekeland (3),
Torge Witteborg (3), Cam Territo (2),
Tom Tzabari (2),
Christoffer Vie Angell (2),
Jacob Casha (1),
Jayden Da (1),
Jack Emanuel (1),
Tate Mohney (1)
Assists
Nate Dragisich (18),
Ryan Goodhew (7),
Maxi Hopfer (7),
Zach Mowka (6),
Logan Muck (2),
Ade Akinjogbin (2),
Jesper Moksnes (2),
Ben Bacdayan (1),
Harper Cook (1),
Jayden Da (1),
Jack Emanuel (1),
Anthony Harding (1),
Tate Mohney (1),
Domenic Nascimben (1),
Cameron Territo (1),
Tom Tzabari (1)
Points  Â
Maxi Hopfer (35),
Nate Dragisich (34),
Ryan Goodhew (17),Â
Zach Mowka (16),
Logan Muck (10),
Ask Ekeland (6),
Torge Witteborg (6),
Cameron Territo (5),
Tom Tzabari (5),
Christoffer Vie Angell (4),
Jayden Da (3),
Jack Emanuel (3),
Tate Mohney (3),
Jacob Casha (2), Jesper Mosksnes (2),
Ade Akinjogbin (2),
Ben Bacdayan (1),
Harper Cook (1),
Anthony Harding (1),
Domenic Nascimben (1)
Games  Â
Nate Dragisich (50),
Kendall Newman (40),
Domenic Nascimben (39),
Maxi Hopfer (31),
Logan Muck (31),
Zach Mowka (29),
Harper Cook (26),
Ryan Goodhew (25)
Logan Muck (67/28) played in 36 games with 21 starts at Evansville
Cameron Territo (51/45) played in 44 games with 38 starts at Western Illinois
Ade Akinjogbin (40/23) played in 20 games with 14 starts at Wofford
Harper Cook (38/23) played in 12 games with two starts at American
2022 ATLANTIC 10 AWARD WINNERS
Aug. 28 -
Torge Witteborg - Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 12 -
Domenic Nascimben - Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 12 -
Ask Ekeland - co-Rookie of the Week
Sept. 19 -
Domenic Nascimben - Defensive Player of the Week
2022 NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
Aug. 29 -
Domenic Nascimben - College Soccer News National Team of the Week
Sept. 13 -
Domenic Nascimben - Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week
UNITED SOCCER COACHES TOP 25
September 6 - ARV (tied 30th)
September 13 - ARV (tied 30th)
September 20 - No. 25 (tie)*
* - first national ranking since Nov. 8, 2005
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