Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University women's soccer team concluded a three-game homestand at Rooney Field Sunday, earning a 4-2 victory over Kent State on Senior Day. The Dukes remained perfect at home and improved to 4-1 (.800) overall during the 2024 season.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Alisa Arthur scored on a free kick at 57:17 to trim the deficit for the Golden Flashes to 2-1, but the Dukes wasted no time answering. Just 26 seconds later, junior forward
Brianna Moore scored her second goal of the game, coming up with a steal of a Kent State defender before making a move on goaltender Heidi Marshall for an open goal and tapping it in to give Duquesne a 3-1 advantage.
ANSWERING PART DEUX
Arthur again scored on a set piece for Kent State (3-1-1) at 78:16, and again the Dukes answered less than a minute later. This time it was junior forward
Maya Matesa who scored for Duquesne, taking a pass from Moore before finding open space and connecting for her first of goal of the 2024 campaign at 79:08 to keep the advantage at two goals. It was a perfectly placed shot, barreling toward the left of the goal, hitting the side bar and bouncing into the net from 25 yards out.
QUOTABLE
"I thought it was great for us to respond not once but twice today," interim head coach
Dave Gray said. "It shows our mentality is much stronger this year. We've talked about getting forward as much as possible and us dictating the tempo of games and us being the aggressor. By them going out and being able to bang two balls in like that, right after giving up goals, it shows the mindset this year. Our effort was good out of the gate. We played a really good Kent State team that is always going to show up and play well. The girls really did a good job adapting throughout the game."
FIVE-FOR-FIVE
Leading, 1-0, entering the second half, the Dukes grabbed a 2-0 advantage courtesy of junior forward
Margey Brown. In a footrace, Brown split two defenders and slid one past Marshall at 53:59. It marks the fifth consecutive game to open the 2024 campaign that Brown has scored a goal, and she leads Duquesne with 18 points thanks to seven goals and four assists. The seven markers for Brown already has her tied for ninth in the program single-season record book, and she is just three goals shy of tying the single-season record of 10 that was set by Lauren Bracco (2000-03) in 2003 and matched by Katie O'Connor (2015-18) in 2015.
NOTES
Before the match, Duquesne honored its senior class, as
Ally Campanella,
Mackenzie Leeder and
Maddy Neundorfer were each recognized … Campanella earned her second start of the 2024 season against the Golden Flashes and logged a full 90 minutes … Neundorfer posted five saves for the Dukes in earning the win as the starting goalkeeper … Leeder, meanwhile, also played a full 90 minutes and finished with two shots, including one on goal … During its three-match homestand, the Dukes outscored their opponents, 13-2, and also finished with 68 shots, including 41 on goal, compared to 24 and 16, respectively, by their opponents … Kent State registered eight shots Sunday, seven of which were on goal.
QUOTABLE
"As a team we came out really strong across the board," Moore said. "Both times they scored we were able to come back on the first play, ramp up the speed and were ready to get right back at them. We finished really well, so I'm really proud of the team as a whole. Every time we step on this field we come out and play 100 percent, no matter who the opponent is. Kent State, obviously, is a really physical team and a really good team. We stayed resilient. Everyone played their part today."
UP NEXT
Duquesne takes to the road for its next three matches, beginning Thursday, Sept. 12, in Loretto, Pa., at 4:00 p.m. against Saint Francis U. The Dukes will also visit Youngstown State (Sept. 15) and open their Atlantic 10 slate at Richmond (Sept. 19) as part of their road trip.
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