GAME 13
Dayton (4-6-2 | 1-1-2 Atlantic 10 ) vs. Duquesne (5-4-3 | 2-0-2 Atlantic 10)
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | Rooney Field
 
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From The Pitch

- The Duquesne University women's soccer team wraps up a two-game homestand by hosting Dayton Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Rooney Field.

- The Dukes enter Thursday's game coming off a scoreless draw against George Washington (10/4). The Revolutionaries owned a 17-9 edge in shots, including 9-3 on frame.

- Senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes posted six saves against GW, none bigger than in the first half at 22:54. A give-and-go between Kalia Kau and Kate McGrath of the Revs led to a one-on-one situation for Kau, but Hughes sprinted out and blocked the shot to keep the game scoreless. Kau had a second opportunity after the save, but the shot was wide right.

- Duquesne concluded a swing through Richmond, Va., by posting a 2-1 victory at VCU (9/27). Freshman Molly Kinsella provided the game-winning goal on a penalty kick at 84:04, snapping a 1-1 tie. Duquesne is 3-for-4 this season in penalty kick attempts, with the shot from the spot for Kinsella the first of her NCAA Division I career.

- Senior Paige Kuisis collected her first goal of the 2026 season against the Rams, giving the Dukes a 1-0 lead at 28:26. VCU would find the equalizer in the second half before Duquesne earned the penalty shot to garner the victory.

- The Dukes opened their two-game road trip with a 1-1 draw at Richmond (9/24). The Spiders grabbed the lead early in the second half, 1-0, after a scoreless 45 minutes, but Duquesne tied it at 81:12. Senior Paige Kuisis redirected the ball in the box and hit the near post, with the ball bouncing back out. Freshman Claire Beasley was in position, converting to tie the contest.

- The Dukes opened the Atlantic 10 portion of their schedule with a 2-1 victory over Rhode Island (9/19) at Rooney Field. Duquesne fell behind early, but goals from senior Anna Bundy (34:14) in the first half and senior Jayden Sharpless (59:37) in the second half helped the Dukes earn the win.

- Bundy and Sharpless serve as co-captains of the 2026 Dukes, and the performance in the win over the Rams marks the first time the pair have scored a goal in the same game.

- 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 132-66-30 (.645).

- The Dukes head to Fairfax, Va., Sunday, Oct. 11, to take on George Mason at 1:00 p.m. after taking on the Flyers.

Scouting the Flyers – Dayton carries an overall record of 4-6-2 (.417) into its match with Duquesne Thursday, including a 1-1-2 (.500) ledger in the Atlantic 10 … The Flyers dropped a 2-0 decision at home to La Salle (10/2) in their last outing after back-to-back scoreless draws at home against Saint Louis (9/24) and at Loyola Chicago (9/27) … Senior forward Olivia Baca owns a team-high three goals for UD, and her six points is tied for team-high honors with freshman forward Reese Gallagher, who owns two goals and two assists … In his 10th season as head coach at Dayton is Eric Golz (Grove City '02) … The Flyers own a 20-3-2 (.827) advantage in the all-time series, with the last victory for the Dukes coming Oct. 12, 2017, in Dayton, Ohio, a 3-1 victory.

Tally-Ho – Twelve games into the 2026 season, a total of 10 different players have scored a goal for the Dukes this season. Of those 10 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 Paige Kuisis became the 10th different player to score a goal this year in a 2-1 victory at VCU (9/27), as her first strike of the campaign gave the Dukes a 1-0 lead.

Dodge Ram – Sophomore Brynn Ramsey came off the bench in Duquesne's 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan but has been a steady presence in the starting lineup since, and she's produced. In collecting her fourth assist of the year against Ohio (9/13) in the 2026 non-conference finale, Ramsey owns six points in her 11 starts this season. She also fired a career-high six shots in a 1-1 draw at Youngstown State (9/10), including a pair on frame, while logging a career-high 79 minutes. Ramsey is tied for third in the Atlantic 10 with four assists this season, four behind Ella Cadigan of La Salle, who owns eight.

Moving Up – While sophomore Brynn Ramsey has produced as a starter for the Dukes, senior Kayla Leseck continues to be in the middle of rallies for Duquesne. She 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 Leseck continue her 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).

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 Dayton 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 68 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of three goals and two assists on 67 shots, 25 of which have been on frame. Sharpless was also the only field player for the Dukes last year to have played 1,730 out of a possible 1,730 minutes, and she has logged a full 90 in each of the first 12 games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 63.2 percent (43-of-68) of her career contests, which includes a career-high 110 minutes against Fordham in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship.

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 66 contests throughout her career on the Bluff, registering five goals and 12 points. She was named to the 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

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