Brentaro Yamane | Staff Writer
Sept. 30, 2021
The Duquesne men’s soccer team took care of business on Saturday evening, defeating La Salle, 3-0, in an Atlantic 10 Conference meeting at Rooney Field.
Offensively, the Dukes wasted no time putting a stranglehold on the game, with all three of their goals coming in the game’s first half.
In the second minute of the game, after receiving a pass from Ryan Landry, Maxi Hopfer shot the ball into the top left corner of the net to give Duquesne a 1-0 lead.
So far this season, Hopfer’s impact on the team has been apparent, as he leads the team in both points (18) and shots (31).
Shortly after, in the fifth minute, Explorers goalkeeper Carlos Mora kicked the ball in an attempt to clear it from his goal area. He didn’t clear it far enough, and Nate Dragisich was there to take possession. He shot the ball over the outstretched arms of a diving Mora to give the Dukes a 2-0 advantage.
Dragisich recorded both a goal and an assist in the victory.
In the 39th minute, after Logan Muck’s shot was stopped by a diving Mora, Hopfer happened to be in the right place at the right time.
He grabbed the rebound and shot the ball into an empty net to record his second goal of the game (seventh of the season). Landry was credited with an assist on Hopfer’s second goal.
In just nine games played this season, Hopfer has now posted two goals in a game on three separate occasions (also on Aug. 29 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) and on Sept. 15 vs. Canisius).
In the first half, Duquesne outshot La Salle by a 13-11 mark. Despite trailing by three goals at the half, La Salle showed very few signs of aggression in the second half. The Dukes outshot the Explorers 10-4 in the final frame, ultimately outshooting La Salle by a 23-15 tally over the course of the entire contest.
Duquesne goalkeeper Domenic Nascimben — who made five saves in the victory — recorded his second shutout of the season. The shutout was the fifth of his career since joining the Dukes prior to the 2018 campaign.
With the win, the Dukes have now won four of their last five matchups against the Explorers.
Duquesne remains undefeated at home on the season, winning each of its first five games at Rooney Field. Three of the team’s final seven games will be played at home.
Entering the weekend, the Dukes (2-0-0) are joined by Saint Louis (2-0-0) and St. Bonaventure (1-0-0) as the only teams that remain undefeated in A-10 competition.
Duquesne will now hit the road for three consecutive A-10 contests against Davidson (Oct. 2), VCU (Oct. 6) and Saint Joseph’s (Oct. 16). The Dukes will not return home until Oct. 20, when they are scheduled to square off with St. Bonaventure.
