GAME 5
Kent State (1-2-1) vs. Duquesne (2-2-0)
Sunday, August 30, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
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From The Pitch

- The Duquesne University women's soccer team continues a three-game homestand Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against Kent State at Rooney Field.

- The Dukes opened the home portion of their schedule with a 2-0 victory over Akron (8/27), scoring twice in the first 15 minutes of the contest en route to the win.

- Collecting her first NCAA Division I goal and opening the scoring against the Zips was sophomore Brynn Ramsey, who took a feed from senior Kayla Leseck before find the back of the net with her left foot at 11:06.

- Just over three minutes later in the win over Akron, senior Kaitlyn Killinger also scored with her left foot, giving Duquesne a 2-0 edge at 14:39 for her first strike of the 2026 season.

- Senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes made the two opening goals stand, matching a career high in saves (7) for the second consecutive game to collect her second clean sheet of the year and ninth of her career.

- 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 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 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 15 points in 60 career games, including 39 starting assignments. She owns two goals and 11 assists since the beginning of the 2023 season on the Bluff, and her assist in the win over Akron moved into a tie with four other former Dukes for seventh 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 129-64-27 (.648).

- The Dukes will wrap their three-game homestand after taking on the Golden Flashes Thursday, Sept. 3, in a 1:00 p.m. tilt against Toledo at Rooney Field.

Scouting the Golden Flashes – Located in Kent, Ohio … Member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) … Owns an overall record of 1-2-1 (.375) this year after dropping a 3-1 decision to Kansas (8/23) in their last outing, a home game at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium … Kent State opened its 2026 campaign with a 3-0 victory over Cleveland State (8/13) and also has dropped a 5-2 decision at Kentucky (8/17) while earning a 1-1 draw at Youngstown State (8/20) … The 2026 season marks the 25th year for Rob Marinaro (Clemson '92) as head coach at Kent State … Marinaro has been a part of the Kent State women's soccer coaching staff since the program's inception in 1997 … Sunday marks the eighth meeting the all-time series with the Golden Flashes, with the Dukes owning a 4-3 (.571) … Duquesne has won each of the last two meetings between the two programs as well as three of the last four … Last season, the Dukes earned a 3-2 triumph over Kent State on the road, earning the victory with three goals in the second half … The win marked the debut for Jessica Giegucz as head coach at Duquesne.

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 60 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 four games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 58.3 percent (35-of-60) 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. Ramsey added her first career goal in a 2-0 victory over Akron (8/27) in the 2026 home opener at Rooney Field, giving her four points in her first three career starts.

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 58 contests throughout her career on the Bluff, registering four goals and 10 points. She was named to the 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

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