PITTSBURGH -- The Duquesne University lacrosse team completed a perfect, 4-0Â homestand with a 12-9 victory over Akron on Tuesday evening at Rooney Field. The Dukes improve to 4-1 on the season, their best start since 2019.
Tied at eight to start the fourth quarter, Duquesne rattled off four consecutive scores to take control of the contest (12-8) and held on for the win.
Junior midfielder
Mackenzie Leszczynski recorded her 100th career point as a Duke behind a game-high six points with four goals and two assists. Leszczynski entered the game with 98 points and hit the century mark with a pair of first-quarter goals. The 100th point came on a free position attempt at the 1:19 mark in the first to put DU up 3-2.
A back-and-forth first half featured three ties and a pair of lead changes. Both teams went on quick 3-0 runs in the second quarter, but a
Corinne Webb free-position, player-up goal 2:33 before the half gave Duquesne a 7-6 lead at the break.
Webb ended with three goals, her fourth straight game with three or more.
Akron (1-4) regained the lead (8-7) quickly in the third quarter with goals at the 11:57 and 11:23 marks. The Dukes locked down on defense and held the Zips off the board for the next 25-plus minutes, while the offense fired in five straight scores.
Emma Raines tied things up at eight with Duquesne's first goal of the second half at the 3:18 mark of the third quarter. Leszczynski tallied her fourth of the night to start the fourth frame, then a pair of freshmen -
Charlotte Stamper and
Ali Evans - netted their first career goals, and
Jillian Caroselli finished off the run with her second score of the game - a fast break goal assisted by
Hanna Pawela.
The Dukes assisted on seven of the 12 goals.
Emelie Curtis,
Tristen Chang,
Lindsay Newton, and
Lizzie Cleary joined Pawela and Leszczynski (2) in the assist column.
Pawela charted nine of the 16 caused turnovers for the DU defense, her third game this season with eight or more, and scooped up a game-high seven ground balls. Duquesne held Akron to just one shot in the fourth quarter and forced nine turnovers.
Megan LaBorne got credited with her first win of the season in goal, playing the entire second half.
Rachel O'Toole started and made three saves in the first half.
UP NEXT
Duquesne hits the road for a non-conference matchup at Radford on Saturday. First draw is scheduled for 11 am.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
Head Coach
Corinne Desrosiers
Mackenzie Leszczynski
FOLLOW THE DUKES
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