PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University women's soccer team earned a dominating, 5-0 victory over American in its home opener Sunday afternoon at Rooney Field. 

Maya Matesa led the Dukes offense with two goals, in back-to-back fashion just over 10 minutes apart in the second half, as four players found the back of the net for the Red and Blue. 

Duquesne (1-1) regrouped from a shot shortage in the season opener and totaled an 18-4 advantage in the box score this afternoon, including a 9-2 edge in shots on goal over the Eagles (0-1-1). The Dukes took each of the first four shots in the game and never looked back. Matesa paced the shot takers with four, three of which went on target and two in the back of the net. 

Graduate student Jaimi Araujo got the scoring started with a penalty kick goal in the 6th minute. Araujo was playing in her first game of the season, battling an early-season injury, and fired off three shots with two on goal across 56 minutes of action. 

Maddy Neundorfer got the win between the posts logging 90 minutes for Duquesne. The junior keeper saved both shots she faced, one in each half, as the Dukes back line limited opportunities for the Eagles throughout. American took just one shot in the second half, coming in the 75th minute, and did not attempt a corner kick in the entire game.

A handful of scoring chances evaded the Dukes, with a couple offside penalties, a diving save, slide tackles, and shots just missing target, throughout the first half as they searched for their second goal. 

With under three minutes remaining in the opening half, DU was able to get that second score off the foot of Brianna Moore, who deked out the Eagles' keeper after being set up by textbook passes from Mackenzie Muir and Libby Majka.  

The Dukes carried their momentum from the 2-0 halftime lead into the second half, netting three more scores in an all-around commanding final 45 minutes. 

Matesa got her first goal of the season on a breakaway score in the 54th minute thanks to a touch pass from Cami Taylor, then converted a header on a corner kick by Brooke Kirstein just over 10 minutes later to quickly push the Duquesne lead to 4-0. 

Freshman Kayla Leseck tallied her first score of her young career in the 78th minute from the top of the box, set up by a left-footed pass through the Eagles defense from Morgan Kulniszewski, to round out the scoring.

Five goals was the most scored by DU in three-plus seasons, dating to a 6-0 win over Youngstown State on Sept. 15, 2019, and the most in a home opener since the 7-0 win over Vermont to begin the 2005 home season. It is the third time in the Coach Alvine era that Duquesne has scored five or more goals in a game (6-0 win at Saint Francis on Sept. 23, 2016 and the YSU victory in 2019).

The Dukes had 28 players see action in the home opener, including collegiate debuts by Reagan Basehore and Skylar Leseck.

Duquesne will be back home on Thursday to take on Youngstown State. Start time is slated for 7 pm from Rooney Field.

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