Pittsburgh, Pa. – Duquesne University head men's soccer coach
Chase Brooks offered his thoughts rather directly after a recent practice atop the Bluff.
"First championship in 21 years," Brooks said. "I think that says all you need to know right there."
Duquesne is the sole Atlantic 10 regular-season title holder for the first time since 2004, when the Dukes went 13-6-1 (.675) in one of their best seasons since the program's first in 1995.
The Dukes were unbeaten at Rooney Field this season, boasting a 6-0-1 record on the Bluff. Duquesne hasn't lost more than two games at home since 2017 and hasn't had a losing home record since the shortened 2020 season.
Despite losing back-to-back road games to close out the regular season, the Dukes were still able to take the A10 title back to Pittsburgh. Now on home turf, Duquesne is confident they can defend the Bluff.
"It's just nice to be home," Brooks said. "Rooney Field can be a fortress for us. We're looking forward to a lot of fans in the stands and getting a little revenge."
Thanks to 18 upperclassmen or graduate students on the roster this year, the 2026 Dukes are one of the most experienced teams Duquesne has fielded.
"The more guys have been through the battles, the more they understand what's at stake," Brooks said.
The experience has proven to be pivotal for the Dukes this season, as they have been able to cruise through the majority of conference play, winning three straight games where they outscored their opponents, 10-0.
"You need that sense of maturity and have veterans on the team to be able to calm down and play our style at home," senior midfielder Jaxon Ervin said.
Ervin, a Pittsburgh, Pa., native, has played all four of his years at Duquesne. Last year, he was one of only four Dukes to start all 16 matches, a feat he carried into this season while playing three complete games.
He's seen teammates come and go, transfers arrive and depart and as he's watched the team evolve into one of the most well-rounded teams in the conference.
"Being one of the older ones, I've seen a lot of juniors and sophomores come through," Ervin said. "To see them come into their form that they've been in and fight for the team, it's really good to see."
Ervin is the program's active leader in goals (9), assists (12), points (30), games (59) and starts (49) as the Dukes get set to host La Salle in a quarterfinal game of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament at 7:00 p.m. Friday at Rooney Field.
Now in his 14th season on the Bluff, Brooks recognizes the landmark victory for Duquesne and what it means to his upperclassmen-heavy team.
"It's everything they've worked their entire careers for, and it's an opportunity to have a chance at making a run on Rooney Field to play for a championship," Brooks said.
Brooks and Duquesne didn't shy away from adversity when creating their 2026 schedule, slotting two ranked matchups and three Power Four matches to prove their readiness.
The Dukes held a scoreless tie at West Virginia, the ranked 21st in the country, into the 85th minute, where the Mountaineers were able to break through and avoid the upset bid despite a desperate scramble from Duquesne in the final minute.
Against West Virginia, senior forward Cody Da made his first career start for Duquesne, a move that proved to be pivotal in 2026. Da became Duquesne's leading scorer, netting six goals and collecting 13 points.
"I wouldn't be able to do that without any of my teammates," Da said. "Even though I may be the one putting the ball in the back of the net, there's so many other people that take part. It's a team achievement."
Da has been Duquesne's X-factor in 2026, paired with back-end goals and sharp defensive play by defenders Ashwin Menon and Ofek Sasson. Da has been the main cog in Duquesne's offensive machine, which scored three or more goals in five matches.
"I left my old school looking for a higher level and something better, and I feel like I found that here," Da said. "It's honestly amazing knowing that I was welcomed into this team by everybody. We have a big returning group that all know each other. We're all friends, we're all close. It just makes it that much better."
The City Game was revived in 2026, and although Duquesne fell, 2-1, to No. 7 Pitt, the Dukes proved they were there to play. They scored in the eighth minute of the game, immediately putting pressure on the Panthers.
Battling with top teams has been Duquense's forte in 2026, including a 3-0 win versus Davidson, whose tie with Saint Louis in the season finale clinched the A10 regular-season title for the Dukes.
"Confidence is what we were going for when we built the schedule," Brooks said. "We're a hardworking team. We're a team with a lot of depth. I think if we can come with the right mentality and execute well, good things can happen."
After a frustrating 3-0 loss at La Salle in their season finale, the Dukes knew they needed help to capture the title. A Saint Louis win would tie Duquesne's point total with 18, and the Billikens held the tiebreaker.
Midway through the 89th minute, Saint Louis' Tanner Anderson found the back of the net to go up 1-0. In desperation mode, Davidson responded in just 23 seconds with the equalizer, knotting the score and leaving Saint Louis one point behind Duquesne in the final table.
"We were watching on the bus and saw St. Louis go up 1-0 with about a minute 30 left, and our heads kind of went down, the bus went a little bit quiet," Da said. "But Davidson pulled one back out of absolutely nowhere, and our bus was absolutely jumping. Everybody was so excited, so happy that we had this amazing achievement."
Now in the driver's seat for the upcoming A10 Tournament and a shot at an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship, Da and the Dukes are ready for more.
"If we bring the energy that we need to bring at home, we're a tough team to beat at Rooney Field," Da said. "I love the group of guys we have on our team."
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