Pittsburgh, Pa. – Despite a 3-0 setback at La Salle in its 2026 regular-season finale in Philadelphia, Pa., at McCarthy Stadium, the Duquesne University men's soccer team earned its first Atlantic 10 regular-season championship Saturday since 2005 as well as its first outright crown since 2004. The Dukes earned the title and No. 1 seed in the 2026 A10 Championship by virtue of a 1-1 draw between Saint Louis and Davidson at Alumni Stadium in Davidson, N.C., a contest that saw each team score 23 seconds apart in the 88th minute.
THE BIG PICTURE
The Dukes fell behind the Explorers in the first half, 2-0, thanks to a brace from Kyrese Lynch-Bailey before sealing the victory in the second half at 58:35 on a strike from Pedro Amadou. It forced Duquesne to scoreboard watch, as Davidson was hosting Saint Louis in a 7:00 p.m. start. The Wildcats and Billikens were scoreless until Tanner Anderson broke the ice with his seventh goal of the year at 88:27. The strike put Saint Louis in position to claim the regular-season title, but Brady McGlone fired a shot just 23 seconds later for Davidson that sailed over SLU goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin for the equalizer. The draw gave Saint Louis 17 points during the regular season in Atlantic 10 play, a point shy of the Dukes and allowing Duquesne to earn its first A10 regular-season crown in 21 years.
QUOTABLE
"We had the game on in the bus, and when Saint Louis scored it got pretty quiet," head coach
Chase Brooks said. "Obviously the next goal changed the momentum. I credit the boys for the work they've put in this year. Hopefully we can learn from tonight and take some lessons moving into the week. You can't take anything for granted. It's a refocusing on who we are and what we need to do moving into the postseason. We've got a second chance, so let's go make the most of it. It's an unbelievable opportunity. That refocusing has already started, and now it's about continuing to take care of business."
HELLO AGAIN
Duquesne will open the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship Friday, Nov. 6, at Rooney Field against the same team it played Saturday to conclude the regular season. La Salle will make the trip West across the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a 7:00 p.m. first kick as the Dukes host a game in the Atlantic 10 Championship for the second time in three years. Ironically, during the 2024 season, the Dukes closed the regular season with a 1-1 draw at Rooney Field against Fordham, only for the Rams to return a week later for a quarterfinal matchup. That year the Dukes were a No. 4 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship, while this year the Dukes are regular-season champions.
QUOTABLE
"It's a great feeling," Brooks said. "I think we wish we would've taken care of it in the 90 minutes we had tonight, but I credit these guys for the work they've put in the entire season. We put ourselves into a position tonight where we had a chance and, thankfully the cards fell in our favor. This is obviously an awesome moment for the group, but our job's not done yet. We want go and prove that the season as a whole wasn't a fluke and deserve to be where we are."
NOTES
Duquesne controlled the pace of play Saturday against La Salle, owning a 10-5 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes and 19-7 overall … Both teams logged four shots on net … The Dukes also collected six corner kicks compared to four for the Explorers … Duquesne hasn't beaten La Salle in Philadelphia since 2015 but will carry a six-game winning streak into its match with the Explorers at Rooney Field … Logging a full 90 minutes Saturday for the Dukes were
Blaize Hardy,
Ofek Sasson,
Jaxon Ervin and
Alex Posada ... Sophomore Sophomore
Hákon Dagur Matthíasson finished with a team-high five shots against La Salle, including two on net … The Dukes had a streak of scoring at least one goal in a game snapped at seven … Saint Louis earns the No. 2 seed and will host Dayton Friday, Nov. 6, at 2:00 p.m. … Also earning
home games in the 2026 A10 Championship are George Mason, which will host Fordham, and Rhode Island, which will host Davidson … A total of three points separated the four teams that will host a game in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship.
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