Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University women's soccer team used a quick start to roll past La Salle, 4-2, in the regular season finale on Sunday at Rooney Field. With the win, Duquesne secured home field for the opening round of next week's Atlantic 10 Championship, extended its win streak to three to close the regular season, and improved to 7-1 at home, the program's most home victories since 2017.
At 12-5-1 overall and 7-3 in Atlantic 10 play, first-year head coach
Jessica Giegucz has guided the Dukes to their most conference wins since 2017 and most overall wins since 2015.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Duquesne raced out to a 3-0 lead in the opening 28 minutes and never looked back.
Brianna Moore opened the scoring just 47 seconds into the match, the fastest goal by a Duke since 2012.
Maya Matesa touch-passed a throw-in from
Kaitlyn Killinger to Moore, who right-footed it into the top left corner.
Mackenzie Muir added a penalty kick in the 26th minute after a La Salle handball in the box, and just over two minutes later, Matesa finished a feed from
Kayla Leseck to make it 3-0. Matesa struck again four minutes into the second half on a fast-break give from Moore to extend the lead to 4-1.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Dukes placed four shots on goal and converted all four, while junior goalkeeper
Ali Hughes tallied five saves on seven La Salle shots on frame.
Matesa finished with two goals and one assist, her sixth multi-goal game and eighth outing with at least three points this season. Already the program's single-season goals record holder (set earlier this year at Richmond in game nine), Matesa increased her total to 17, which ranks among the top five nationally. Her assist brought her season point total to 39 through the regular season, also a Duquesne record.
Moore added her eighth goal and third assist of the season, Muir scored her sixth goal, Leseck extended her team lead to seven assists, and Killinger notched her third assist of the year.
NOTES
- Duquesne's three first-half goals marked the first time in the 2000s the Dukes have scored three or more goals in the opening half of back-to-back games (also led 3-1 at halftime Thursday in a 5-1 win at St. Bonaventure).
- The Dukes closed the regular season on their second three-game win streak of the year (also opened 3-0) ... Duquesne has outscored opponents 11-4 during the current streak.
- Moore's goal at 0:47 was the fastest since Sept. 23, 2012, when Caroline Lacy scored 38 seconds into a match vs. Cleveland State.
- The Dukes' 43 goals this season are their most since the program joined Division I in 1995.
INTO THE POSTSEASON
Duquesne secured home-field advantage for the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Championship as the No. 3 seed. The Dukes will host No. 6 Fordham on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. at Rooney Field.
Click here for the full Atlantic 10 Championship bracket.
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