PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University women's soccer team returns all but one of their nine goal scorers from last year's squad that reached the first Atlantic 10 postseason tournament since 2019. Now that they made their return to the tournament, the Dukes are eager for more in 2023 and head coach Al Alvine believes this roster has the talent, and now experience, to do so with a strong group of returners from one of the youngest teams in Division I last season, bolstered by a talented incoming class.
 
"We last won (the A-10 Championships) in 2015, and that's the goal for us. We are super hungry to get back there and win it again," said Coach Alvine. "I think we have such a broad skillset on our roster with a lot of talent that this may be one of the best teams I have had at Duquesne in a number of years and we're still really young."
 
The lengthy list of returners includes graduate student Jaimi Araujo, who led the team with five goals and 11 points last year, along with sophomores Mackenzie Muir and Margey Brown, who were both named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team a year ago.
 
Muir, a midfielder, netted four goals in her freshman campaign, three of which were game-winners, and added an assist on the game winner in her first career game versus Ohio.
 
Brown, a forward, was a force on the left side for the Dukes' attack as she totaled four points (one goal and two assists) and created quality chances throughout the season.
 
"Margey and Mackenzie are two kids we'll count on to build off what they did last year, and Jaimi is a fifth-year kid for us bringing a lot of experience and a lot of goals with her into the season," said Coach Alvine. "The list goes on-and-on though, it may be the most depth I've ever had here."

Maddy Neundorfer returns for her junior season in net for DU. Neundorfer ranked second in the Atlantic 10 in saves (96) and saves per game (6.0) in 2022, starting all 16 games.
 
Duquesne had 20 different players start at least one match last season and returns 15 of them. That's not all. The Dukes had a number of players grow and develop throughout spring sessions that will look to climb the depth chart and battle for field time this fall. Coach Alvine and his staff also brought in a talented group of newcomers that features a transfer and multiple first-year players looking to make an immediate impact.
 
Anna Campanella is a graduate transfer from Boise State, where she played in 38 games with nine starts over the past three years after spending her freshman campaign at Kent State. "Anna has had a huge impact on us and has provided a lot of experience to this young group," said Coach Alvine.
 
Kayla Leseck, Anna Bundy, and goalkeeper Ali Hughes are just a few first-years that have stood out in training and are competing for time. "The newcomers as a whole have fit right in and blended in seamlessly," said Coach Alvine.
 
The consistency will be a point of emphasis for Coach Alvine and the Dukes. After being such a young squad in 2022, Duquesne will lean on those experiences – the good stuff and the struggles – to drive them this fall. "If we can put together the consistency and score goals, I think we will be in pretty good shape," noted Alvine.
 
The strong team camaraderie includes three sets of sisters on the Dukes roster this season. Kayla and her twin sister Skylar Leseck are freshman from Moon Township, Pa., Anna (freshman) and Emma Bundy (junior) hail from Wexford, Pa., and Anna (graduate student) and Ally Campanella (junior) are on the Bluff from Hudson, Ohio.
 
"We're super excited for the season to get started," said Coach Alvine. "Every (training) session has been high intensity with no drop off, so we are hoping for big things on Thursday and throughout the season."
 
Duquesne will go through a tough non-conference schedule starting with a road trip to Ohio, who DU downed 2-1 in last year's opener at Rooney Field, tomorrow (August 17) at 4 pm.

A pair of NCAA Tournament teams from 2022, West Virginia and Pitt will play host to the Dukes in consecutive games on August 27 and 31. Along with some local rivals that have seen success in their respective conferences with home games against Youngstown State and Saint Francis, then a trip to Kent State to round out non-conference play.
 
Atlantic 10 action kicks off on September 14 at Davidson for the Dukes and the first conference home game will be September 17 against Loyola Chicago.
 
The Dukes host nine games at Rooney Field this fall, beginning with the home opener on Sunday (August 20) versus American at 1 pm. All regular season games at Rooney Field are free admission. Live stats and video for all available games will be posted to the schedule page.

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