GAME 2
Duquesne (0-1) at Cleveland State (0-2)
Thursday, August 20 | 7:00 p.m.
Krenzler Field | Cleveland, Ohio
 
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From The Pitch

- The Duquesne University women's soccer team continues a three-game road trip to open its 2026 season Thursday with a 7:00 p.m. match against Cleveland State at Krenzler Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

- The Dukes opened their 32nd year of NCAA Division I soccer with a 3-1 setback at Eastern Michigan (8/12). Senior Jayden Sharpless gave Duquesne the early lead, 1-0, by scoring on a penalty kick at 12:07, but the Eagles tied the contest six minutes later and scored a pair of goals after the break to secure the victory.

- The loss at Eastern Michigan dropped Duquesne to 14-16-2 (.469) all-time in season openers as the Dukes failed to win their second consecutive season lidlifter on the road.

- The Dukes are led by second-year head coach Jessica Giegucz, who guided Duquesne to an overall mark of 12-5-2 (.654) last year, including a mark of 7-3 (.700) in the Atlantic 10. Duquesne, which tied a program record for victories, hosted its first Atlantic 10 Championship game since 2017.

- A total of five starters return from last season, including forwards Kaitlyn Killinger and Kayla Leseck, who combined for 20 points courtesy of five goals and 10 assists. Killinger and Leseck each started all 19 games for Duquesne in 2025, with Killinger posting four goals and three assists and Leseck tying for second in the A10 in assists (7) with Izzy Luebbert of Saint Louis and Liina Tervo of Fordham.

- Leseck is the program's active leading scorer entering the 2026 campaign with 14 points in 57 career games, including 36 starting assignments. She owns two goals and 10 assists since the beginning of the 2023 season on the Bluff, with her career assist total ranking 11th all-time in program history.

- Killinger is in her second year at Duquesne after spending her first two years of NCAA Division I soccer at Pittsburgh. The local product out of Plum, Pa., fired 43 shots last year, 26 of which were on net. She finished with a pair of shots in the 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12), both of which were on goal.

- The Dukes established single-season school records last year in goals (44) and points (113).

- Duquesne closed the 2025 season ranked third in NCAA Division I in shots on goal per game (10.16), fourth in shots per game (21.74) and 16th in scoring offense (2.32). The Dukes also ranked 27th in the country in goal differential (+24).

- Giegucz was named the sixth head coach in program history at Duquesne Dec. 20, 2024. In 10 seasons as head coach at Slippery Rock, Giegucz compiled an overall record of 104-48-24 (.659). She began her coaching career in Ashland, Wisc., at NCAA Division III Northland College, where she posted a mark of 11-9-1 (.548) in 2014 prior to being tabbed the head coach at Slippery Rock.

- Duquesne's win at Mercyhurst (8/24/25) marked the 200th game for Jessica Giegucz as a head coach in stints at Northland College, Slippery Rock and Duquesne. In 13 seasons as a head coach, Giegucz owns an overall record of 127-63-27 (.647).

- The Dukes will conclude their three-game road swing to open the 2026 campaign after taking on the Vikings Sunday, August 23, with a 1:00 p.m. match at No. 20 West Virginia.

Scouting the Vikings – Located in Cleveland, Ohio … Member of the Horizon League … Owns an overall record of 0-2 this season, with road losses to Kent State (8/13), 3-0, and Eastern Kentucky (8/16), 5-0 … Thursday's game marks the 2026 home opener for Cleveland State … The Vikings are led by Mark Sappington (Wheeling Jesuit '11), who is in his third season as head coach at CSU … Sappington spent five seasons on the coaching staff as an assistant at Slippery Rock under Giegucz from 2015 to 2019 … Duquesne leads the all-time series with Cleveland State, 4-1 (.800), after a 4-1 triumph over the Vikings last season at Rooney Field (9/4/25) … In that victory, the Dukes scored the only goal of the opening 45 minutes courtesy of former forward Maya Matesa (2022-25) and added three more after the break, including strikes from Kaitlyn Killinger and Paige Kuisis.

Lineup Stalwart – Senior Jayden Sharpless has been a steady presence for the Dukes in the midfield throughout her career, as she is the only player for Duquesne to have started all 57 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of two goals and an assist on 57 shots, 23 of which have been on frame. Sharpless was also the only field player for the Dukes last year to have played 1,730 out of a possible 1,730 minutes, and she logged a full 90 in the 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12). Sharpless has logged a full game in 56.1 percent (32-of-57) of her career contests, which includes a career-high 110 minutes against Fordham in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship.

Strong Start – While Sharpless has been an anchor in the midfield for Duquesne throughout her campaign, her goal from the spot in the 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12) marked her first presence on the scoresheet since 2023. The first career strike for Sharpless came in a 3-0 victory over Richmond (10/22/23), as she scored the opening goal in an eventual 3-0 victory over the Spiders at Rooney Field.

Fresh & Clean – A trio of Dukes earned starting assignments in their NCAA Division I debut in the 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12), as midfielders Claire Beasley and Molly Kinsella and defender Addy Mills were each part of the starting 11 for Duquesne. The last time the Dukes had as many as three true freshmen in the starting lineup in a season opener came in 2022, when five starters were in their first NCAA Division I game. Duquesne earned a 2-1 victory over Ohio (8/18/22) in that contest at Rooney Field, with Maya Matesa (2022-25) scoring the game-winning goal at 61:31. Her classmates, Mackenzie Muir and Brianna Moore, each picked up an assist on the strike.

Captain O Captain – Serving as team captains for Duquesne in 2026 are seniors Jayden Sharpless and Anna Bundy. Bundy started all 19 games for the Dukes last season and has appeared in 55 contests throughout her career on the Bluff, registering four goals and nine points. She was named to the 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

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