GAME 4
Akron (2-0-0) vs. Duquesne (1-2-0)
Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
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From The Pitch
- The Duquesne University women's soccer team opens the home portion of its 2026 schedule Thursday when Akron visits Rooney Field for a 7:00 p.m. start. It marks the second game of a doubleheader, as the men's team
will take on Mount St. Mary's at 4:00 p.m.
- The Dukes concluded a three-game road trip to open the year with a
2-0 setback at No. 22 West Virginia (8/23). Duquesne held the Mountaineers off the scoreboard until late, when Sophia Nickel scored at 76:31 to snap a scoreless game. WVU added its second goal five minutes later to settle the final score.
- Duquesne earned its first victory of the 2026 season thanks to 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 NCAA Division I strike.
- 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 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 59 career games, including 38 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.
- 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 128-64-27 (.646).
- The tilt against the Zips is the first of three consecutive games at Rooney Field against a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for Duquesne, which will host Kent State (August 30) and Toledo (Sept. 3) during its homestand.
Scouting the Zips – Located in Akron, Ohio … Member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) … Opened the 2026 season with a 3-0 win over Oakland (8/16) at home before going on the road to post a 2-1 triumph at Southern Indiana (8/20) … Rachel Wenzel scored a pair of goals for Akron in its season-opening win over the Golden Grizzlies … In her second season guiding the Zips is Maggie Kuhn (Bethany '04), a Western Pennsylvania native who has also had stints as a head coach at both Point Park (2013-18) and Lock Haven (2019-21) … Kuhn served as interim head coach for Akron in 2025 and is in her fifth season overall with the program in 2026 … Thursday marks the fourth meeting between the Zips and Dukes, with DU owning a 2-0-1 (.833) edge in the all-time series … In the last game between the two programs, Katie O'Connor scored the lone goal of the contest at 59:20 to
propel Duquesne to victory in a game played in Akron, Ohio, Sept. 15, 2017.
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 59 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of two goals and an assist on 59 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 three games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 57.6 percent (34-of-59) 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 12 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 57 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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