Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's soccer team concluded a three-game road trip Saturday, lifting the lid on its Atlantic 10 slate with a 1-0 victory over George Washington in Washington, D.C, at GW Soccer Field. The Dukes improved to 5-1-1 (.786) overall during the 2024 season.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
In wrapping up its three-game road trip with a 1-1-1 (.500) record, the Dukes wasted no time scoring the only goal of the contest. Senior forward
Maxi Hopfer, inserted back into the starting lineup Saturday, came through for Duquesne. A loose ball scramble at the top of the box was brought in by Hopfer, who turned around and lifted a shot that sailed into the upper right corner of the net to give the Dukes the early 1-0 cushion at 5:20. It was the first shot of the match from either team in a half that witnessed just seven shots overall. George Washington had an opportunity past the midway point of the first stanza, with a shot from Roee Tenne high in the 29th minute before senior goalkeeper
Zoltan Nagy made a save on a William Turner shot less than a minute later.
MAD MAX
The offensive flow picked up after the break, with the Revolutionaries getting four shots off in the first 13 minutes after halftime. Two were blocked by the Dukes, one was high and the other credited with a team save. Nagy also came up big late for Duquesne, turning away a pair of shots, including one in the final minute, as GW (2-6 | 0-1 Atlantic 10) searched for the equalizer. For Hopfer, he collected his eighth career game-winning goal, which moves him into a tie for fifth place all-time on the Bluff with Steve Mellor (2002-05). Hopfer also pushed his career point total with the Dukes to 52, just five points behind Mellor for sixth place in the program records.
NOTES
George Washington registered a 13-10 edge in shots, including 4-3 on goal … Redshirt sophomore
Jaxon Ervin tallied three shots for the Dukes, including two on net … Senior
Jesper Moksnes continues to be an iron man for Duquesne, as he played 90 minutes against the Revolutionaries and has played 630 out of a possible 630 minutes through seven matches … Also logging a full 90 Saturday were
Christoffer Vie Angell,
Bendix Bennetzen and
Blaize Hardy … Duquesne improved to 16-9-5 (.617) all-time in Atlantic 10 openers, including 5-4-1 (.550) on the road … Nagy earned his third clean sheet of the 2024 season and fifth over the last two years while a member of the Dukes … A total of four yellow cards were issued, including two for each team.
UP NEXT
Duquesne returns home to Rooney Field Tuesday, Sept. 24, for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match against Mount St. Mary's. The Dukes will also host Saint Joseph's Saturday, Sept. 28, at 5:00 p.m.
Photo credit: George Washington Athletics
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