GAME 16
Davidson (5-8-2 | 1-5-1 Atlantic 10) vs. Duquesne (5-7-3 | 2-3-2 Atlantic 10)
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
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From The Pitch

- The Duquesne University women's soccer team opens its final homestand of the 2026 regular season Thursday by hosting Davidson at 7:00 p.m. at Rooney Field.

- The Dukes are looking to snap a three-game slide as well as a four-game winless streak after a 2-0 loss at Loyola Chicago (10/18). Duquesne is also looking for its first goal since senior Kayla Leseck opened the scoring in a 3-1 setback to Dayton (10/8) with her first strike of the year.

- The Dukes are led by second-year head coach Jessica Giegucz, who guided Duquesne to an overall mark of 12-5-2 (.654) last year, including a mark of 7-3 (.700) in the Atlantic 10. Duquesne, which tied a program record for victories, hosted its first Atlantic 10 Championship game since 2017.

- Giegucz was named the sixth head coach in program history at Duquesne Dec. 20, 2024. In 10 seasons as head coach at Slippery Rock, Giegucz compiled an overall record of 104-48-24 (.659). She began her coaching career in Ashland, Wisc., at NCAA Division III Northland College, where she posted a mark of 11-9-1 (.548) in 2014 prior to being tabbed the head coach at Slippery Rock.

- Duquesne's win at Mercyhurst (8/24/25) marked the 200th game for Jessica Giegucz as a head coach in stints at Northland College, Slippery Rock and Duquesne. In 13 seasons as a head coach, Giegucz owns an overall record of 132-69-30 (.636).

- The Dukes conclude the home portion of their 2026 regular season after taking on the Wildcats by hosting Saint Louis Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1:00 p.m. at Rooney Field.

Scouting the Wildcats – Davidson carries a four-game losing streak into Thursday's game with the Dukes, with each outcome by the score of 1-0 … In their last outing, the Wildcats fell at home to Dayton (10/17) … Forwards Madelyn Hayes and Kiera Pohan have each scored seven points this season for Davidson thanks to three goals and an assist … Pohan registered a brace in the last win for the Wildcats, a 2-1 triumph at Fordham (9/27) … Freshman forward Adrian Dunhat has also scored three goals this year for Davidson … In her fourth campaign as head coach of the Wildcats is Riley Piechnick (Loyola Md. '16), who is a native of Canonsburg, Pa., and a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School … Thursday marks the 14th all-time meeting between Duquesne and Davidson, with the series tied, 4-4-5 (.500) … In the last meeting between the two programs, the Dukes posted a 2-0 victory at Rooney Field (9/22/24) thanks to goals from Mackenzie Muir and Brianna Moore in the second half.

Tally-Ho – Fifteen games into the 2026 season, a total of 11 different players have scored a goal for the Dukes this season. Of those 11 student-athletes to find the back of the net, six have scored their first career NCAA Division I goal. Freshman forward Molly Kinsella was the latest to get in on the act, as her header accounted for Duquesne's only score in the non-conference finale against Ohio (9/13) at Rooney Field. Of the six players to notch their first career NCAA Division I goal this season, three are true freshman (Kinsella, Allison Bechtel and Claire Beasley). Meanwhile, senior Kayla Leseck became the 11th different player to score a goal this year as she opened the scoring in a 3-1 setback to Dayton (10/8) with a strike in the first half.

Moving Up – Senior Kayla Leseck continues to be in the middle of rallies for Duquesne. In addition to collecting her first goal of the year against Dayton (10/8), Leseck provided an assist on the goal in the first half by senior Anna Bundy against URI (9/19) that tied the score, 1-1, heading into halftime. It marked Leseck's third assist of the campaign as well as the 13th of her career, helping her continue to climb in the career record book in the category. Leseck is tied for fifth all-time on the Bluff with former teammate Mackenzie Muir (2022-25). Overall in 71 career games, Leseck owns 19 points thanks to three goals and 13 assists.

Hardware – Senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) thanks to a pair of clean sheets in the first two home games of the 2026 season at Rooney Field. In wins over Akron (8/27) and Kent State (8/30), Hughes finished with 16 saves, including a career-high nine in the win over the Golden Flashes. It marks the second career weekly honor for Hughes from the Atlantic 10, who enters Thursday's game against Davidson with four shutouts this season and 11 over the last two years.

Lineup Stalwart – Senior Jayden Sharpless has been a steady presence for the Dukes in the midfield throughout her career, as she is the only player for Duquesne to have started all 71 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of three goals and two assists on 70 shots, 26 of which have been on frame. Sharpless was also the only field player for the Dukes last year to have played 1,820 out of a possible 1,820 minutes, and she has logged a full 90 in each of the first 15 games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 64.8 percent (46-of-71) of her career contests, which includes a career-high 110 minutes against Fordham in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship.

Did You Know? The only NCAA Division I student-athlete with a longer streak of consecutive starts than senior Jayden Sharpless is Caroline Castans of Kansas, who has been a member of the starting 11 each of the last 81 games for the Jayhawks. Sharpless is set for her 72nd consecutive start Thursday against Davidson and is one of five players across NCAA Division I to have played all 1,350 possible minutes in 15 games in 2026.

Captain O Captain – Serving as team captains for Duquesne in 2026 are seniors Jayden Sharpless and Anna Bundy. Bundy started all 19 games for the Dukes last season and has appeared in 69 contests throughout her career on the Bluff, registering five goals and 13 points. She was named to the 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

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