Brentaro Yamane | Staff Writer
Sept. 2, 2021
It was a weekend of growth and experience for the Duquesne women’s soccer team, who drew one and lost one of its two weekend contests.
The action got underway Friday night at Rooney Field when the Dukes battled Valparaiso in their second non-conference game of the season. It was the first time that the two schools ever faced one another.
Early on, Duquesne’s Ashley Briscoe tackled Valparaiso’s Kelsie James in the penalty area, but Briscoe fell when she tried to get back up, giving James a prime shooting chance. James faked out goalkeeper Megan Virgin to score, giving Valparaiso a 1-0 lead in the game’s 16th minute.
Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Dukes responded with two unanswered goals.
After Valparaiso goalkeeper Nikki Coryell made an initial save on Emma Bundy, Jaimi Araujo pounced on the rebound and scored, tying the game at 1 in the 58th minute.
Five minutes later, when Coryell tried to catch a headbutted ball by Duquesne’s Karly Steinher, teammate Alexis Gaffney bumped into her. Coryell failed to catch the ball and Bundy — who was right in front of the net — capitalized on the miscue and scored, giving the Dukes a 2-1 lead.
However, after a foul was called on Briscoe late in regulation, James struck again by scoring from 31 yards out on a free kick to help the Beacons tie the game at 2 in the 79th minute.
The score remained tied at 2 when regulation time concluded. Neither team was able to score in either overtime period, thus ending the game in a 2-2 draw.
The Dukes looked to bounce back when they traveled to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on West Virginia Sunday evening. The game start, originally scheduled for 5 p.m., was delayed by nearly an hour and a half due to inclement weather.
Duquesne stayed in the game, trailing just 1-0 at halftime.
However, the Mountaineers added two more goals in the second half, ultimately winning by a 3-0 tally.
Duquesne played a clean game, not committing any fouls. By comparison, West Virginia committed seven fouls.
However, the Mountaineers got more chances, outshooting Duquesne by a 19-3 mark. Capitalizing on their chances made all the difference.
The win helped West Virginia improve its all-time series record against Duquesne to 10-0-2.
With a record of 1-1-1, the Dukes will go a week without games. Their next scheduled contest is set for Sunday afternoon, when they host Youngstown State at Rooney Field.
The Dukes last hosted YSU on Sept. 15, 2019, defeating the Penguins, 6-0, in a blowout.
