GAME 16
Fordham (7-4-4 | 4-1-2 Atlantic 10) vs. Duquesne (11-3-1 | 5-2-0 Atlantic 10)
Saturday, Nov. 2 | 7:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
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From The Pitch
 
- The Duquesne University men's soccer team wraps up its 2024 regular season Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. match against Fordham at Rooney Field. It marks Senior Day, as the Dukes will honor its senior class prior to the game.
 
- The Dukes are tied for second in the Atlantic 10 standings with Saint Louis (4-0-3 Atlantic 10), three points behind George Mason, which is 12-3 (.800) overall and 6-1 (.857) in the conference. Duquesne ranks 13th in NCAA Division I in winning percentage (.767) and is one of eight programs with at least 11 victories on the season.
 
- The Dukes concluded the road portion of their 2024 regular season with a 1-0 loss at Massachusetts (Oct. 26). Scoreless for the majority of the contest, Alec Hughes scored with just under two-and-a-half minutes remaining to help lift the Minutemen to the victory.
 
- In its last game on the Bluff, Duquesne established a new program standard with its 11th consecutive win at Rooney Field as well as its eighth victory at home this season, also a new school record, thanks to a 1-0 triumph over Northern Kentucky (Oct. 22). A throw-in from redshirt sophomore Ashwin Menon from the far sideline allowed senior Jesper Moksnes to provide a perfect header into the middle of the box that found the foot of senior forward Maxi Hopfer, who laced it past Romeo Paparesta of NKU at 15:53.
 
- The win over the Norse concluded a two-game homestand that began with a 1-0 triumph over Davidson (Oct. 19). Redshirt sophomore Blaize Hardy registered his first career goal on a header at 10:48 for the only score of the contest.
 
- Senior goalkeeper Zoltan Nagy is a three-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week honoree and enters Saturday's match leading the conference in save percentage (.829) and saves (63) while sitting second in goals against average (0.90). Nagy also averages 4.20 saves per contest, which ranks third in the circuit.
 
- A 2-1 win over Mount St. Mary's (Sept. 24) helped head coach Chase Brooks garner his 83rd career victory on the Bluff, allowing him to pass former head coach Wade Jean (1998-2005) for the most wins in program history. In 12 years at Duquesne, Brooks has recorded a mark of 88-86-26 (.505). Overall in 14 seasons, Brooks is 110-98-35 (.525) as a head coach.
 
- A total of 12 Dukes have registered a point through the first 15 games of the 2024 season, as the assist for redshirt sophomore Blaize Hardy in a 2-1 win at No. 13 George Mason marked his first point on the Bluff.
 
Scouting the Rams – Located in the Bronx, N.Y. … Tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10 with Dayton thanks to 14 points … Fordham earned a 5-1 win over Loyola Chicago (Oct. 26) in its last match, as Andrew Insalaco scored a pair of goals and also added an assist … Junior midfielder Daniel D'Ippolito leads the A-10 in scoring with 26 points courtesy of 10 goals and six assists … D'Ippolito ranks second in the conference in goals behind Alex Hughes (12) of Massachusetts while leading the Atlantic 10 in shots (55) and shots on goal (28) … Dayton's Joseph Melto Quiah also owns 55 shots this season … In his fifth season as head coach at Fordham is Carlo Acquista, who guided the Rams to the 2020 NCAA Championship … Saturday marks the 23rd meeting in the all-time series between Fordham and Duquesne, with the Rams owning an 11-8-3 (.568) edge … The last two meetings between the two programs, both of which came in the Bronx, the last two years have ended in a tie … Last season the Dukes and Rams ended in a 1-1 draw, with former forward Jayden Da (2021-23) netting the goal for Duquesne.

Maximum Overdrive – Maxi Hopfer has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Dukes during his career on the Bluff, and after a 2023 season where he dealt with injuries, the senior forward is looking to go out on a high note. Hopfer has scored a point in seven of Duquesne's last nine games after scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Northern Kentucky and enters Saturday's game with career totals of 25 goals, 14 assists and 64 points. Hopfer ranks fourth all-time for the Dukes in points (64) and is just four points shy of moving into sole possession of second place. Former forwards Simon Gomez (2010-13) and Joshua Patterson (2009-12) rank second and third, respectively, in points with 67 and 66.
 
The Magic Touch – While senior forward Maxi Hopfer owns 64 career points, it's his flair for the dramatic that has him atop the career record book at Duquesne. Hopfer is tied for the NCAA Division I lead this season in game-winning goals with five, joining Marius Stenner (Delaware), Donovan Sessoms (Sacramento State), Bryan Akongo (Rider), Emil Jasskelainen (Akron), Elie Kisoka (Kansas City) and Alexis Ledoux (UC Santa Barbara). The five game-winning markers give Hopfer 12 for his career on the Bluff, a new program standard. The old record of 10 was held by former Dukes David Gingrich (1999-2002) and Damien Pottinger (2000-03).
 
One – Despite a 1-0 setback at Massachusetts, the Dukes own a record of 30-9 (.769) in one-goal matches since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, including an 8-1 (.889) mark this season. Included in that stretch is a 18-3 (.857) record in such games at Rooney Field and a 12-6 (.667) mark on the road.
 
Defense Wins Championships – Despite dropping a 1-0 decision at Massachusetts in its final road match of the 2024 regular season, Duquesne ranks third as a team in save percentage in NCAA Division I. The Dukes have turned away 84 percent of their shots this season, which trails only Charlotte and SIUE, as each are tied atop the leaderboard with save percentages of .846. In their three losses this season, the Dukes have allowed seven goals. In its other 12 matches, Duquesne has given up just six markers.
 
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