Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University lacrosse team begins a two-game homestand Saturday against George Mason in Atlantic 10 Conference play at Rooney Field.
GAME 9
George Mason Patriots (5-5 | 1-2 A-10) vs. Duquesne Dukes (1-7 | 0-3 A-10)
Saturday, March 21 | 1:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | Rooney Field
Watch Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats | Game Notes
Promotion: T-shirt giveaway for fans who bring a canned good donation for the McAnulty Keating Food Pantry
THE DUKES
Roster | Schedule | Stats
- Last Time Out: Chelsea Evans tied a career high with four goals while adding game highs in ground balls (5, tied with Addison Scanlon) and caused turnovers (4) in a 14-9 loss at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday. Gracin Emerson recorded four assists and a goal, bringing her season total to 44 assists — tying the Duquesne single-season record set by Meghan Frederick in 2009. Chloe Holmes added two goals, while Megan Marco and Ali Evans each scored once. The Dukes held a 13-11 edge in draw controls, led by freshman Madison Welch with seven.
- NCAA Leaders: Junior Gracin Emerson and senior Emma Raines continue to rank among the nation's leaders. Emerson leads Division I in assists (44) and assists per game (5.50), while Raines tops the country in shot percentage (78.6%).
- Gracin The Great: Gracin Emerson tied the program's single-season assist record (44) in just eight games, matching Meghan Frederick's 2009 mark. Emerson leads the nation in both total assists and assists per game and is on pace for a historic season. No Division I player has ever averaged 5.0 assists per game over a full season (record: 4.63 by Ashley Humphrey, Stanford, 2022). Emerson needs 31 assists over the final seven regular-season games to reach that mark. The junior from East Lansing, Michigan has recorded at least four assists in every game this season and has tied the program's single-game record (7) twice — in the home opener against Mount St. Mary's and in the win at Mercyhurst. Prior to this season, only one seven-assist game had been recorded in Duquesne's previous 29 seasons. Emerson has six or more assists in four games and is one of only two Division I players with multiple seven-assist performances this season. She has added five goals for 49 points, ranking fourth nationally with 6.13 points per game.
- Raining Goals: Emma Raines has recorded five hat tricks this season and leads the Dukes with 22 goals. Her 78.6% shot percentage ranks No. 1 nationally. Raines has posted three perfect shooting games this season: Mount St. Mary's (3-for-3), Robert Morris (2-for-2) and Saint Joseph's (3-for-3).
- We Shoot, We Score: Duquesne ranks third nationally in shot percentage, converting 52.9% of its attempts (91 goals on 172 shots). From the free-position arc, the Dukes are 54.5% (12-for-22), ranking 18th nationally.
- Single-Game Program Records: In addition to Emerson tying the single-game assist record twice, freshman Madison Welch set a Duquesne single-game record with 14 draw controls in the win at Mercyhurst. Welch averages 5.25 draw controls per game, ranking third in the Atlantic 10.
- Defensive Dukes: Addison Scanlon (3.00 ground balls per game) and Casey McBride (1.75 caused turnovers per game) both rank in the top four of the Atlantic 10. First-year goalkeeper Ella Roach sits among the top 20 nationally with 74 saves (9.25 per game).
Streak Spotlight
Gracin Emerson — 4+ assists in every game; 5+ points in every game
Chelsea Evans — goal in five straight and seven of eight games
Megan Marco — goal in three straight
Addison Scanlon — multiple ground balls in six straight and seven of eight games
Ella Roach — 10+ saves in back-to-back games and three of last four
THE PATRIOTS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
- George Mason enters Saturday at 5-5 overall and 1-2 in Atlantic 10 play. After opening conference action with an overtime win at La Salle, the Patriots have dropped two straight, including a 16-15 loss to Saint Joseph's and an 18-8 defeat at Richmond on Wednesday.
- Common opponents include Robert Morris and Saint Joseph's, with George Mason falling to both by one goal.
- Five of the Patriots' 10 games have been decided by three goals or fewer, including two overtime contests. George Mason is 1-4 in games decided by three goals or less and 1-1 in overtime.
- The Patriots average 12.1 goals per game (6th in A-10) and allow 10.8 per contest (7th in A-10).
- Junior Kate Anders leads the team with 45 points (35 goals, 10 assists) and has scored in every game this season. She ranks second in the A-10 and 15th nationally with 3.50 goals per game.
- Nine Patriots have scored this season, including three with 20+ goals: Anders (35), Kaitlyn Bestick (25) and Matye Riley (20). Riley Ellis ranks second in the A-10 with 23 assists, trailing only Duquesne's Emerson.
- Senior goalkeeper Regan Bestick ranks ninth nationally with 84 saves.
SERIES HISTORY
George Mason leads 6-4
Last Meeting: Apr. 5, 2025 at GMU – L, 10-9
First Meeting: Apr. 6, 2014 at GMU – W, 21-13
Streak: L3
Home/AwayRecord: (H) 2-3 / (A) 2-3
Notes: Last season, Duquesne rallied with four straight goals to tie the game at 7-7 in the third quarter, but George Mason responded with back-to-back scores to regain control. Emerson scored with 42 seconds remaining, but the Patriots won the ensuing draw and held possession. Duquesne's last win in the series came in 2023 (18-13) at Rooney Field.
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 240-238 and have made 15 Atlantic 10 Championship appearances, highlighted by two regular-season co-championships.
UP NEXT
Duquesne continues its homestand next Saturday when it hosts Rhode Island at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne Lacrosse all season online at
GoDuquesne.com, as well as on
X (Twitter),
Instagram, and
Facebook (@DuqLax).
