Pittsburgh, Pa. – Former Duquesne University women's soccer forward
Maya Matesa (2022-25) has signed a professional contract for the 2026-27 season with Apollon Ladies F.C. in Limassol, Cyprus, as part of the Cypriot First Division.
Matesa, a native of Lebanon, Ohio, concluded a standout career on the Bluff in 2025 with arguably the most prolific offensive season in program history. She established Duquesne single-season school records in goals (17) and points (39), adding five assists to her tally in 19 games. Matesa also finished with 94 shots during the 2025 campaign, 45 of which were on goal.
Thanks to her performance, Matesa was named the
2025 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year in a vote of conference head coaches and also earned spots on the 2025 Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team as well as the 2025 Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team.
In the NCAA Division I rankings, Matesa closed her final season with the Dukes ranked in the top 10 in multiple categories. She finished fourth in both shots (4.95) and shots on goal (2.27) per contest, seventh in points per game (2.05) and eighth in game-winning goals (6) and total goals. Her point total, meanwhile, in 2025 finished 12th in the nation.
Matesa also earned multiple postseason honors from United Soccer Coaches, as well, after her record-breaking 2025 season. For her work on the pitch, Matesa was
named to the 2025 All-East Region Second Team. Meanwhile, in posting a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.52 in earning a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, Matesa was
named to the 2025 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Scholar All-America Third Team while garnering a spot on the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-East Region Team.
In the career record book at Duquesne, Matesa set a new program standard for goals with 29 while finishing second in points (69) and shots (209). She is also tied for second all-time on the Bluff for game-winning goals (9) as well as tied for seventh in career assists (11).
Matesa also owns the program's single-game record shots, unleashing 11 in a 4-0 triumph over Youngstown State (Sept. 11) at Rooney Field during the 2025 season, a game in which she scored twice. It was part of a senior year in which she registered multiple goals six times, including a hat trick in a 6-0 triumph at Mercyhurst (August 24), while also collecting three Atlantic 10 Player of the Week nods, the most ever in a season by a student-athlete for the Dukes.
Duquesne is led by head coach
Jessica Giegucz, who led the Dukes to an overall record of 12-5-2 (.684) in her first season at the helm last year, including a mark of 7-3 (.700) in the Atlantic 10. Duquesne also registered a 7-1-1 (.833) ledger in home games at Rooney Field.
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