GAME 3
Duquesne (1-1) at No. 22 West Virginia (2-0)
Sunday, August 23, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium | Morgantown, W.Va.
Stream: ESPN+ with Andrew Caridi (pxp) & Michael Minnich (color)
Live Stats | Watch | 2026 Roster | 2026 Schedule | 2026 Statistics
From The Pitch
- The Duquesne University women's soccer team concludes a three-game road trip to open its 2026 season Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against No. 22 West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. It marks the first game for the Dukes against a ranked foe since a 2-1 loss to No. 7 Pitt August 18, 2024, at Highmark Stadium.
- Duquesne evened its overall record at 1-1 (.500) in its last game, earning a
3-0 triumph at Cleveland State (8/20). The Dukes led at halftime, 1-0, before scoring a pair of goals after the break to seal the victory.
- Each of the three goals in the win at Cleveland State for Duquesne were scored by players collecting their first NCAA Division I strike. Senior
Kiley Johnson gave the Dukes the early lead by scoring on a header off a corner kick at 27:07. Johnson played 49 career games over three seasons at USC Upstate prior to transferring to the Bluff.
- In the second half in the win over the Vikings, freshman
Allison Bechtel collected her first career NCAA Division I goal at 70:21 to give Duquesne a 2-0 advantage, while junior
Zoe Fries capped the scoring at 79:02 with her first career goal.
- 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 with 14 points in 58 career games, including 37 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 two years 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 128-63-27 (.649).
- The Dukes return home to Rooney Field for three consecutive games after taking on the Mountaineers. Duquesne opens the homestand Thursday, August 24, with a 7:00 p.m. match against Akron.
Scouting the Mountaineers – Located in Morgantown, W.Va. … Member of the Big 12 … Sunday's game against the Dukes concludes a three-game homestand to open the 2026 campaign for WVU, with the Mountaineers earning wins over Atlantic 10 foe Dayton (8/13), 2-0, and No. 23 Penn State (8/20), 2-1 … The Nittany Lions struck first at 10:39 to grab the early lead before the Mountaineers tied it, 1-1, heading into halftime … Sophia Nickel netted the game-winning goal at 67:14 on a feed from Jordyn Wilson … Sunday marks the second consecutive year DU and WVU square off on the pitch and 15th time overall, with the Mountaineers owning a 12-0-2 (.929) advantage in the all-time series … The only head coach in WVU history, Nicole Izzo-Brown (Rochester '93) has compiled a career record of 418-146-80 (.711) in 31 seasons.
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 58 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of two goals and an assist on 58 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 has logged a full 90 in each of the first two games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 56.9 percent (33-of-58) 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.
Joining The Fray – While a trio of rookies earned starts in the 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12), sophomore
Brynn Ramsey earned her first assignment in the starting 11 in a 3-0 victory at Cleveland State (8/20). She capitalized on the opportunity, as well, picking up an assist on each of the first two goals of the contest for the Dukes. In 11 career games over the last two seasons, Ramsey has collected three assists.
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 56 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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