Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's soccer team opened action in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament Friday, earning a 1-0 victory over eighth seed La Salle at Rooney Field. Thanks to the win, the Dukes improved to 10-5-2 (.647) overall during the 2026 campaign and advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2022.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
The bend but don't break mantra was on full display for Duquesne, as the Dukes looked to snap a two-game slide and coming off just their second Atlantic 10 setback of the season in the regular-season finale, a 3-0 loss in Philadelphia, Pa., against the Explorers. Both teams searched for opportunities in the opening 45 minutes to no avail, and Duquesne almost broke through in the second half before using a set piece to cash in. Senior
Pepo Bravo provided a corner kick from the near side that found senior
Cody Da, who got a shot off that was blocked. Another corner kick ensued, and this time redshirt senior
Jaxon Ervin lifted a ball from the far side. Redshirt freshman
Steel Bayer, at 6'5", leapt over La Salle defender Julius de Vries and got a header that floated toward the goal. La Salle goalkeeper Sean Ellis provided a leap of his own to make the save, but the ball slipped through his hands after bumping into defender Zeke Zambrano and into the back of the net at 75:36 for the only score of the contest.
QUOTABLE
"We knew it was going to be a difficult game," head coach
Chase Brooks said. "Obviously to play there last weekend and not get the result, we knew what the game plan was going to be. We knew coming into this one that, again, the win is what mattered most. If it was pretty, great. If it was ugly, great. It doesn't actually matter. At the end of the day you're in the postseason, you've got to find ways to get results. I give our guys a lot of credit."
STEEL CITY
The header from Bayer marked not only his first goal of the 2026 season but the first of his NCAA Division I career. The transfer from West Virginia who earned a redshirt with the Mountaineers last year became the 12th different member of the Dukes in 17 games to find the back of the net. His header marked the only shot on target all evening, as Duquesne owned a 13-7 edge in shots while also logging a 9-2 cushion in corner kicks. Redshirt senior goalkeeper
Sam Coss, meanwhile, was steady in net, getting in front of multiple cross opportunities that La Salle pushed his way in garnering his eighth clean sheet of the year, seven of which have come at Rooney Field.
QUOTABLE
"We know we've got size, we know we've got the ability there, but the corners haven't really fallen for us as much as we've liked this year," Brooks said. "What a time to get your first one. Love it. As you can see we got quite a few shots, but La Salle is a very good team. They blocked a lot of shots tonight. They did a great job. I give our guys credit for just continuing to find a way. The crowd was absolutely fantastic. I think you could definitely hear them, especially in some of the more contentious moments, having our back. Those moments, they matter. They just do. It was brilliant from the crowd tonight and I think our guys responded appropriately."
NOTES
The victory gave Duquesne double-digit victories for the fourth time in the last six seasons as well as the ninth time overall in program history … Ervin's assist was his team-high fifth of the campaign … The last victory for the Dukes in the Atlantic 10 Tournament also came at Rooney Field and also came against the Explorers, a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals Nov. 5, 2022 … Duquesne improved to 37-16 (.698) in games decided by one goal since the beginning of the 2021 season and in that same time frame are 38-6-7 (.814) at Rooney Field … Bayer, seniors
Blaize Hardy and
Pepo Bravo and sophomore
Alex Posada each played a full 90 minutes … The Dukes were led in shots by sophomore
Jameson Michel with three.
UP NEXT
Duquesne welcomes No. 6 seed Fordham to Rooney Field Tuesday, Nov. 10, for semifinal action in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament in a game scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Rooney Field. The Rams went on the road and posted a 1-0 victory over the third seed in the tournament, George Mason, Friday night.
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