Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University lacrosse team continues its road trip Sunday at Butler in its final tune-up before Atlantic 10 Conference play.

GAME 5
Duquesne Dukes (1-3 | 0-0 Atlantic 10) at Butler Bulldogs (1-3 | 0-0 Big East)
Sunday, Mar. 1, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Indianapolis, Ind. | Varsity Field

No Live Stream | Live Stats

THE DUKES
Roster • Schedule • Stats

• Last Time Out: Duquesne earned its first win of the season Wednesday with a dominant 21-4 victory at Mercyhurst. The Dukes scored nine first-quarter goals — the most in program history since the move to four quarters — and built a 13-0 lead in the second. Duquesne closed the contest on a 7-1 run to secure its largest margin of victory (+17) since 2020. Nine Dukes scored in the win, led by Emma Raines with a career-high five goals. Freshman Sydney Girardi added four, while Chelsea Evans and Ali Evans each scored three. Gracin Emerson totaled eight points (one goal, seven assists), tying the program's single-game assist record for the second time in three games. Freshman Madison Welch set the program's single-game record with 14 draw controls. Chloe Holmes (2), Addison Scanlon, Megan Marco and Abigail Krogmann (first career goal) also found the back of the net.
• Road Tripping: Sunday marks the third game of a four-game road swing for the Dukes, their longest since a five-game road stretch in 2017.
• National Leader: Junior Gracin Emerson ranks No. 1 nationally with 23 total assists and 5.75 assists per game. Emerson has recorded two seven-assist performances in the last three games — before this season, only one seven-assist game had ever been recorded in the previous 29 seasons of Duquesne lacrosse. She is one of just two Division I players with multiple seven-assist games this season, joining Allison Reilly of Army. Her 23 assists are 13 more than any other Atlantic 10 player through four games. Emerson is just one assist shy of matching her 2025 season total (24), which ranked among the top 10 in the A-10 in assists per game. She is also two assists away from tying for the sixth-most assists in a single season in program history — and the Dukes are only four games into the year. Emerson has added three goals, including one in each of the last three contests, and ranks No. 4 nationally in points per game (6.50) with 26 total points.
• Raining Goals: Senior Emma Raines leads Duquesne with 13 goals and has recorded three or more in three of four games, including a career-high five on six shots Wednesday. Raines owns an .867 shot percentage (13-for-15), ranking second nationally.
• Shoot & Score: Duquesne ranks second in Division I in shot percentage (.605), converting 52 goals on 86 shots. The Dukes trail only Dartmouth (.653). Against Mercyhurst, Duquesne scored 21 goals on 32 shots, placing 29 on frame. Emma Raines (.867) and Megan Marco (.800, eight goals on 10 shots) pace the efficiency numbers. Duquesne also ranks No. 7 nationally in free-position percentage (.667), converting six of nine attempts. Chloe Holmes is 2-for-2 from the arc, both last game.
• Freshmen Force: First-year contributors continue to make an impact. Madison Welch dominated the draw circle Wednesday with a program-record 14 draw controls, tied for the most by an Atlantic 10 player in a game this season. She averages 6.75 draws per game, ranking second in the A-10 and fifth nationally among freshmen. Goalkeeper Ella Roach, a local Mars Area High School product, earned her first career win Wednesday. Roach has started all four games and owns 32 saves, including a season-high 10 in the home opener. Sydney Girardi, a native of East Aurora, New York, scored a career-high four goals against Mercyhurst and has six goals on eight shots through four games.
• About the Dukes: Duquesne features six seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and six freshmen on its 2026 roster, led by second-year head coach Tracy Coyne, who owns 328 career victories across 37 seasons — the eighth-most among active NCAA Division I head coaches. The Dukes are replacing the production of two all-conference selections and five of their top six scorers from last season due to graduation.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Roster • Schedule • Stats

• After opening the season with a 17-13 win at Detroit Mercy, Butler has dropped three straight and enters Sunday at 1-3.
• Senior Elise Latham leads the Bulldogs with 11 goals and 13 points. Latham earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition after scoring six goals in the season opener.
• Head coach Maggie Zentgraf is in her fourth season at Butler. She played at Notre Dame from 2007-10 under Tracy Coyne and served as a team captain.
• Duquesne and Butler share one common opponent: Akron. The Dukes fell, 17-6, in their season opener, while Butler dropped a 12-10 decision to the Zips on Feb. 18.
• In their most recent game, the Bulldogs fell at Kent State, 10-6. Six different players scored one goal each. Fifteen players have combined for Butler's 41 goals this season, while the Bulldogs have allowed 47.
• Butler was picked sixth in the BIG EAST preseason poll after finishing 0-14 (0-6 BIG EAST) in 2025.

SERIES HISTORY

• Duquesne leads 2-0
• Last Meeting: Mar. 20, 2022 at DUQ – W, 19-16
• First Meeting: Feb. 14, 2019 at Butler – W, 16-8
• Streak: W2
• Home/Away Record: (H) 1-0 / (A) 1-0
• Notes: First trip to Butler since 2019 … The 2022 meeting also preceded an Atlantic 10 opener against Saint Joseph's … Duquesne's last game against a BIG EAST opponent came in that 2022 matchup.

30TH SEASON OF DUKES LACROSSE

• Duquesne lacrosse is celebrating its 30th season as a varsity program on the Bluff in 2026. The Dukes, who began play in 1997, own an all-time record of 240-234 and have made 15 Atlantic 10 Championship appearances, highlighted by two regular-season co-championships.

UP NEXT

• Duquesne opens Atlantic 10 Conference play next Sunday, March 8 at Saint Joseph's.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne Lacrosse all season online at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqLax). 
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video