Pittsburgh, Pa. – A pair of Duquesne University men's soccer student-athletes were honored Monday after the first week of the 2026 season, as junior Marko Rasmussen was named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week and redshirt senior goalkeeper Sam Coss was selected the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week. It marks the first career weekly honor for each.

In helping the Dukes go 1-0-1 (.750) to open the year, Rasmussen helped lift Duquesne to its first win of the campaign, a 3-0 triumph over Bowling Green (8/23) at Rooney Field. He scored twice in less than six minutes to secure the victory over the Falcons, with his first goal coming 17 seconds after the Dukes had grabbed a 1-0 edge in the 75th minute.

Forcing a turnover at midfield, Rasmussen raced down the far sideline before slicing a shot that found the lower right corner of the net and past BGSU goalkeeper Enzo Gil to give Duquesne a 2-0 lead at 76:16. Six minutes later, redshirt freshman Steel Bayer provided a throw-in for the Dukes. A header led to the Falcons trying to clear, but in nearly the exact same spot as his first goal, Rasmussen accepted the clear and in one motion fired his second strike past Gil at 82:05 to settle the final score.

Rasmussen, a native of Silkeborg, Denmark, entered the 2026 season with a pair of goals in 26 career games. He matched that total in the win over the Falcons, finishing with four shots in the victory, including three on net.

The late offensive explosion by the Dukes against the Falcons backed Coss, a native of Bowie, Md., who registered his second consecutive clean sheet to open the year. Coss posted a pair of saves in a scoreless draw as Duquesne opened the 2026 season against Lafayette (8/20) at Rooney Field. Three days later, Coss posted five saves in the triumph over Bowling Green, including multiple of the highlight variety.

Coss is the first goalkeeper for the Dukes to open the year with consecutive shutouts since Domenic Nascimben (2018-22) turned the trick in 2022. That year Duquesne earned a pair of 1-0 victories to open the campaign, including at Michigan (8/25/22) and at Canisius (8/28/22). Nascimben, like Coss, also finished with seven saves over the first two contests of the season.

Led by Chase Brooks, in his 14th year as head coach, the Dukes wrap a three-game homestand to open their 2026 season Thursday, August 27, at 4:00 p.m. against Mount St. Mary's at Rooney Field.  

FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and updates on Duquesne soccer, follow the Dukes on X and Instagram.