Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne women's soccer team opened its final homestand of the regular season Thursday night, battling to a 2-2 draw against Davidson at Rooney Field. The Dukes own an overall record of 5-7-4 (.438) and a 2-3-3 (.438) mark in Atlantic 10 play.
STRIKING BACK
Trailing 2-1 entering the second half, Duquesne found the equalizer in the 68th minute off the foot of senior
Paige Kuisis. Freshman
Molly Kinsella sent a ball into the box that ricocheted off multiple players before senior
Kayla Leseck put a shot on goal. A Davidson defender made the initial stop, but the rebound fell to Kuisis, who found the back of the net to even the score at 2-2. The goal marked Kuisis' second of the season and Leseck's fourth assist of the season. Duquesne continued to apply pressure throughout the final 20 minutes in search of the go-ahead goal. Senior
Kaitlyn Killinger dribbled down the left side before sending a ball toward the back post for sophomore
Brynn Ramsey, whose shot was stopped by Davidson goalkeeper Grace Stair. Another opportunity came in the 83rd minute when Ramsey sent a shot into the box. With the ball loose in front of goal, Killinger attempted a heel kick, but a Davidson defender blocked the effort to keep the match level.
QUOTABLE
"I thought we played very well," head coach
Jessica Giegucz said. "I was very happy with the way that my team was moving the ball around. It was something we worked on a lot this week. I thought we looked pretty good in possession and combinations as it was something that we've talked a lot about. So, a big improvement there. Obviously, I feel like we should have put together a little bit more of a complete 90 minutes, but overall, I was pleased with how well the team implemented what we worked on this week."
POINT OF EMPHASIS
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the 26th minute before Duquesne responded with an equalizer from senior
Anna Bundy. Classmate
Kaitlyn Killinger put a shot on goal from approximately 20 yards out that slipped out of the hands of goalkeeper Stair. Bundy was in position to collect the rebound and find the back of the net at the 37:28 mark to even the score at 1-1. The goal marked Bundy's second of the season and Killinger's second assist in the last four games. Davidson responded just before halftime as Riley Nicholson sent a ball down the right side before Piper Davy delivered a cross into the box that found the foot of Charlotte Hansen. Hansen recorded her second goal of the half to give the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
A BRICK WALL
Davidson mounted one final push for the go-ahead goal late in the second half, but senior goalkeeper
Ali Hughes had other ideas. Reese Montgomery sent a ball forward to Sophia Whiddon, who found herself one-on-one with Hughes in the 87th minute. Hughes came up with a clutch save to keep the match level at 2-2. The Wildcats sent the ball back into the box moments later, but Hughes secured possession once again to preserve the draw. Hughes finished with three saves, including two in the second half, while facing 12 total shots from the Wildcats.
QUOTABLE
"Ali always keeps us in games," Giegucz continued. "She's an incredible goalkeeper. She makes a lot of amazing saves, and she's extremely composed in those situations. I think she was dead to rights, but she somehow pulled out that save, and I'm not surprised. Overall, there's a lot of learning, a lot of foundational stuff that we can work through right now. Obviously, we have to focus on what our next game is, but certainly I'm happy with how the team is learning and growing as we continue to close out the season."
UP NEXT
Duquesne returns to Rooney Field on Sunday, Oct. 25, to host Saint Louis in its final home game of the regular season, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
