GAME 8
Ohio (2-3-0) vs. Duquesne (3-3-1)
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
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From The Pitch

- The Duquesne University women's soccer team hosts Ohio at 1:00 p.m. Sunday at Rooney Field in its fourth consecutive home game against a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Prior to the game, the Dukes will honor their latest senior class for Senior Day.

- Duquesne enters Sunday's game against the Bobcats coming off a 1-1 draw at Youngstown State (9/10). Freshman Claire Beasley gave the Dukes an early 1-0 lead at 4:31 with her first career NCAA Division I goal, but the Penguins found the equalizer in the last three minutes of the contest.

- Senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes posted five saves against the Penguins, the fifth consecutive game she has registered at least five saves in a contest. Hughes enters Sunday's game ranked second in the Atlantic 10 in saves per game (5.83), an average that is also tied for 28th in NCAA Division I with Rosemarie Leblanc of FDU.

- In its last home game at Rooney Field (9/3), Toledo earned a 1-0 victory over Duquesne. Mikaela Perkins scored the lone goal of the contest for the Rockets, finding the back of the net at 73:36.

- Duquesne earned back-to-back victories for the first time this year thanks to a 1-0 victory over Kent State (8/30). Senior forward Kaitlyn Killinger scored the lone goal of the contest with her left foot just five-and-a-half minutes into the contest for the game-winning strike.

- Hughes finished with a career-high nine saves in the victory over the Golden Flashes, including one that was nominated for Save of the Week by the Intercollegiate Women's Soccer Organization for Coaches (IWSOC).

- 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. The assist on the strike came courtesy of senior Anna Bundy.

- 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.

- 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 130-65-28 (.646).

- The Dukes open Atlantic 10 play after hosting Ohio Sunday, hosting Rhode Island Saturday, Sept. 19, for a 4:00 p.m. match. It is the first game of a soccer doubleheader at Rooney, as the Duquesne men's team will also host URI at 7:00 p.m. in its A10 opener.

Scouting the Bobcats – Located in Athens, Ohio … Member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) … OU has logged an overall record of 2-3 (.400) entering Sunday's game with the Dukes and is coming off a 3-2 loss against Indiana (9/6) … The Hoosiers scored twice in the first 11 minutes against the Bobcats before Ohio trimmed its deficit to 2-1 at halftime on the third goal of the season from Jaimason Brooker … Brooker leads the Bobcats with six points and is one of seven players to score a goal through five games … Ohio is led by head coach Aaron Rodgers (North Texas '96), who is in his 14th season at the helm … Rodgers guided the Bobcats to the 2023 MAC Tournament crown and a spot in the NCAA Championship … Sunday marks the fourth meeting between DU and OU, with the Bobcats owning a 2-1 (.667) advantage … The last meeting between the two programs came in Athens, Ohio, with the Bobcats earning a 3-0 victory August 17, 2023 … In the only contest between the two squads at Rooney Field (8/18/22), the Dukes posted a 2-1 triumph.

Dodge Ram – Sophomore Brynn Ramsey came off the bench in Duquesne's 2026 season opener at Eastern Michigan (8/12) but has been a steady presence in the starting lineup since, and she's produced. In collecting her third assist of the year in a 1-1 draw at Youngstown State (9/10), Ramsey owns five points in her six starts this season. She also fired a career-high six shots against the Penguins, including a pair on frame, while logging a career-high 79 minutes. Ramsey is tied for second in the Atlantic 10 with three assists with four other student-athletes.

Moving Up – While sophomore Brynn Ramsey has produced as a starter for the Dukes, senior Kayla Leseck continues to be in the middle of rallies for Duquesne. She provided a header in a 1-1 tie at Youngstown State (9/10) that led to the first career NCAA Division I goal for freshman Claire Beasley. It marked her second assist of the campaign as well as the 12th of her career, helping Leseck continue her climb in the career record book in the category. Leseck is tied for sixth all-time on the Bluff with Katie Schwager (2001-04), just one behind former teammate Mackenzie Muir (2022-25).

Hardware – Senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) thanks to a pair of clean sheets in the first two home games of the 2026 season at Rooney Field. In wins over Akron (8/27) and Kent State (8/30), Hughes finished with 16 saves, including a career-high nine in the win over the Golden Flashes. It marks the second career weekly honor for Hughes from the Atlantic 10, who enters Sunday's game against Ohio with three shutouts this season and 10 over the last two years.

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 63 games dating to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Sharpless owns career totals of two goals and two assists on 60 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 seven games of 2026 for Duquesne. Sharpless has logged a full game in 60.3 percent (38-of-63) of her career contests, which includes a career-high 110 minutes against Fordham in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship.

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 59 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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