GAME 1
Seton Hill (0-0-0) vs. Duquesne (0-0-0)
Thursday, August 21 | 4:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
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From The Pitch
 
- The Duquesne University men's soccer team hosts Seton Hill for its season opener for the second consecutive year Thursday, taking on the Griffins at 4:00 p.m. at Rooney Field. The match is the second game of a soccer doubleheader on the Bluff, as the women's program opens the home portion of its schedule at 1:00 p.m. against Saint Francis.
 
- The Dukes are led by head coach Chase Brooks, who is in his 13th season leading the program in 2025. Brooks has compiled an overall record of 88-87-2 (.502) at Duquesne and is the program's all-time leader in coaching victories. In his 15th year as a head coach overall, Brooks has posted a mark of 110-93-36 (.536).
 
- A total of seven starters return from 2024, including redshirt junior midfielder Jaxon Ervin and senior forward Dakota Jonke. Ervin finished second for the Dukes last season in scoring with 10 points courtesy of three goals and four assists, while Jonke posted a pair of goals and a pair of assists for six points.
 
- The Dukes should also be bolstered by the return of senior Ashton Jell and sophomore midfielder Bendix Bennetzen, who combined for 11 points last season with three goals and three assists. Both Jell and Bennetzen started all 17 games for Duquesne a year ago.
 
- Bennetzen was named to the 2024 All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team after logging 1,389 minutes last season and tallying four points courtesy of a goal and two assists.
 
- Ervin was one of two Dukes named to the 2024 Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team. A supply chain management major who has maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.92, Ervin was also named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team.
 
- Also earning a spot on the 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Team was Jell, who as a marketing major has maintained a 3.95 cumulative GPA. Jell was also honored with the 2025 Leadership Award at the Dukes Awards Show in April.
 
- Duquesne established a new program record last season with 11 consecutive wins at Rooney Field as well as a new program standard in 2024 with eight home victories. Despite a 3-0 setback to Fordham (11/9/24) in the Atlantic 10 Championship, the Dukes own a mark of 26-4-5 (.814) at Rooney Field since the beginning of the 2021 campaign.
 
- The contest against Seton Hill is the first of two at home to open the 2025 season, as after hosting the Griffins, Duquesne will take on Robert Morris Sunday, August 24, at 5:00 p.m.
 
Scouting the Griffins – Located in Greensburg, Pa. … Member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in NCAA Division II … Finished with an overall record of 10-5-4 (.632) last season, including a mark of 5-2-3 (.650) in the PSAC … Duquesne and Seton Hill have met just once before, with the Dukes opening their 2024 campaign with a 3-1 victory over the Griffins at Rooney Field (8/22/24) … In the win Duquesne scored twice in the second half to snap a 1-1 halftime tie, with Jaxon Ervin feeding Ashton Jell for the game-winning goal at 62:20 … The win over Seton Hill last year marked win No. 100 for head coach Chase Brooks … In the triumph last year the Dukes held a 17-5 edge in shots, including 10-2 in shots on goal … Duquesne also finished with five corner kicks compared to two for Seton Hill.
 
Next Man Up – Replacing one of the more decorated offensive players in program history is never easy, and it's a task the Dukes will look to complete in 2025. Former forward Maxi Hopfer (2020-24) concluded his career ranked fourth in program history in scoring with 65 points courtesy of 25 goals and 15 assists. The top returning scorer for Duquesne in 2025 is redshirt junior Jaxon Ervin, who owns 12 career points thanks to three goals and six assists. Balance may be the key in 2025, as 10 returnees this season that have registered on the scoresheet have combined for 40 points during their respective careers on the Bluff.
 
One – Since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, the Dukes own a record of 30-9 (.769) in one-goal matches after posting a record of 8-1 (.889) last year. Included in that stretch is a 18-3 (.857) record in such games at Rooney Field and a 12-6 (.667) mark on the road.
 
Defense Wins Championships – Playing close games means having a stout defense, something Duquesne excelled at last season. The Dukes finished the 2024 campaign ranked fourth in NCAA Division I in save percentage, finishing at .823 thanks to yielding just 17 goals while notching 79 saves. It's the second time in the last three years Duquesne has finished in the top five in NCAA Division I in the category, as in 2022 the Dukes also finished fourth in save percentage (.835), also allowing just 17 goals while recording 86 saves.
 
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