PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University lacrosse program will begin a new era under first-year head coach
Tracy Coyne on Saturday, as they head to Akron for the 2025 season opener.
GAMEDAY INFO
Feb. 8, 2025 • 2:00 PM • Louis and Freda Stile Athletics Field House (Akron, Ohio)
Duquesne Dukes (0-0, 0-0 A-10)
Akron Zips (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
GAMEDAY LINKS
SEASON PREVIEW
One of the winningest coaches in NCAA women's lacrosse history,
Tracy Coyne, begins her 36th season on the sidelines — but her first at Duquesne.
"It's exciting," Coyne said. "Being from Pittsburgh, I love having the opportunity to coach in the city. It really means a lot to me, especially at Duquesne, where my values align with those of the university and athletic department."
Coyne, who holds a career record of 322-230, takes over a Dukes team that showed significant progress last season, finishing 7-10. Duquesne's five-win improvement from the previous year tied for the largest year-to-year increase in program history.
"We have come together as a team throughout the transition," said Coyne. "There is a strong commitment to what we are trying to accomplish as a group."
Offensive Returners
The Dukes return nearly 80% of their scoring from last season, including four of their top five scorers.
Mackenzie Leszczynski (36 goals) and
Corinne Webb (34 goals) led the team in 2023, combining for 70 goals. They are joined by key contributors
Emma Raines (18 goals, one assist) and
Tristen Chang (12 goals, nine assists).
Leszczynski, a senior midfielder from Flourtown, Pa., finished ninth in the Atlantic 10 in goals and enters 2025 on a 16-game scoring streak. She also recorded 12 assists — the most of any returner — and ranked third in the A-10 in shots on goal per game.
Webb, a redshirt junior, was among the league's top free-position scorers, converting 0.76 goals per game at a .481 clip. She returned from injury last season and made an immediate impact, scoring 21 goals in Duquesne's first six games. The Dukes went 7-0 when Webb recorded at least a hat trick.
Senior midfielder
Emily King, a transfer from Towson, proved to be a dynamic presence in her first year at Duquesne. She led the team with 57 draw controls, ranked second in ground balls (41), and added 20 caused turnovers. King also provided clutch scoring, including an overtime game-winner in an A-10 victory over George Washington.
The Dukes anticipate the return of 2023 A-10 All-Rookie selection
Chelsea Evans, who missed last season due to injury. As a freshman, Evans scored 31 goals and started all 16 games.
Additional offensive depth comes from senior
Haley Reeck, junior
Chloe Holmes, and sophomores
Lizzie Cleary,
Gracin Emerson,
Ali Evans,
Charlotte Stamper, and
Kate Webb, all of whom found the back of the net last season.
Defensive Returners
On defense, senior
Hanna Pawela headlines the unit after a record-breaking junior campaign. Pawela led all of Division I with 3.76 caused turnovers per game, setting a Duquesne single-season record with 64. She also ranked second nationally in ground balls per game (4.12).
Junior
Casey McBride was another defensive standout, finishing top-15 nationally and second in the A-10 in caused turnovers (2.06 per game). A two-year starter, McBride has ranked among the conference's top five in caused turnovers since her freshman season.
Sophomore
Faith Conaty (15 caused turnovers, 19 ground balls) and junior
Mia Failla (11 caused turnovers, 14 ground balls) add experience to the defensive unit, as well as sophomore
Avery Wentzel who appeared in six games last season.
Quotable
"The returners are very talented. They are embracing this opportunity, and I feel they're eager to go out there and prove themselves," said Coyne.
Newcomers
Duquesne adds senior transfer
Cameron Counts, a defender from Radford, who brings 32 games of experience. Counts owns a top-10 rank in Radford's record book for single-season caused turnovers and has totaled 46 career ground balls, 34 draw controls, and 33 caused turnovers.
The
freshman class features attackers
Abigail Krogmann and
Megan Marco, midfielders
Kelsea Cooke,
Averi Foster,
Mia Piocquidio, and
Addison Scanlon, along with defender
Morgan Raines and goalkeeper
Korrigan Sweeney.
"I am impressed by how the newcomers have come in and adapted to everything. They are hardworking and will be impactful to our success," said Coyne.
In the Cage
Junior
Megan LaBorne and first year
Korrigan Sweeney will handle goaltending duties. LaBorne, a Glen Allen, Va., native, has appeared in 21 games over two seasons, including 13 last year, when she made 34 saves with a .309 save percentage.
Preseason Outlook
Pawela and Leszczynski earned Atlantic 10
preseason all-conference honors. Leszczynski has collected postseason accolades in each of her first three seasons, including A-10 All-Rookie honors and back-to-back second-team all-conference selections. Pawela is a two-time A-10 All-Academic honoree.
The non-conference slate features five games to begin the season, home games versus Robert Morris (Feb. 12), Saint Francis (Feb. 22) and Mercyhurst (Feb. 27) follow the opener with a return to Ohio mixed in on Feb. 19 at Youngstown State. "The challenge of playing these teams in the non-conference schedule will help us figure out who we are and what we need to do to win," noted Coyne.
League play will begin March 8 at home against George Washington. Duquesne was picked ninth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
Captains & New Staff
After a team vote, senior
Hanna Pawela and redshirt junior
Corinne Webb were
named captains for the 2025 Duquesne lacrosse season. Additionally, senior
Mackenzie Leszczynski, junior
Chelsea Evans, and sophomore
Faith Conaty will serve as class representatives on the team's newly formed leadership council.
Head coach
Tracy Coyne has welcomed
Elise Jackins back to the staff as an assistant coach and added
Lily Miller for her first season on the Duquesne sideline. Miller joins DU following a standout career at Kent State, where she was a three-time all-conference selection and holds multiple program records.
Quotable
"The team has embraced this fresh start," said Coyne. "We're getting better everyday and it's a great opportunity for these young women to do something that has not been done in a while."
SCOUTING AKRON
- The Zips enter their second season under head coach Elaine Jones in 2025. Akron finished 7-9 overall and 2-4 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play last year.
- Like the Dukes, Akron returns its top two goal scorers from 2024, with Sienna Hinchcliffe (35 goals, 13 assists) and Noelle Boyd (33 goals, 14 assists) both back.
- In goal, the Zips will rely on senior goalkeeper Hannah Sanders, who started 14 games last season and posted a .389 save percentage.
- Akron led the MAC in both scoring defense (11.88 goals allowed per game) and caused turnovers (8.06 per game) a year ago, while averaging 10.31 goals per game offensively.
DUKES IN SEASON OPENERS
- Duquesne holds a 13-15 all-time record in season openers and has dropped its last three openers, all to Pitt.
- The Dukes are 2-8 when starting their season on the road.
- This marks the second consecutive year starting on the road and just the fourth time in the last 16 seasons (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025).
SERIES HISTORY VS. AKRON
- Duquesne leads 2-0
- Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2024 at DUQ - W, 12-9
- First Meeting: Mar. 11, 2020 at DUQ - W, 25-2
- Streak: W2
- Home/Away Record: (H) 2-0 / (A) 0-0
- Notes: First-ever meeting at Akron
- Last season: Dukes won 12-9 behind a 4-1 fourth quarter ... Mackenzie Leszczynski netted her 100th career point in the win and had a game-high six points with four goals and two assists ... Corinne Webb added a hat trick.
UP NEXT
Duquesne will host local rival and reigning MAC champion Robert Morris on Wednesday for its home opener. Start time is set for 2 p.m. at Rooney Field, and admission is free.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne Lacrosse all season online at
GoDuquesne.com, as well as on
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook (@DuqLax).
