Pitt (0-0-1) vs Duquesne (0-1-0)
6 pm kickoff – Ambrose Urbanic Field (Oakland)
Broadcast/Live Feed: ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN or the WatchESPN App
Key Storylines / What’s at Stake
Both teams opened their 2016 campaigns with mixed results on Friday.
Now they each get a chance to get bragging rights in their first in-season match since 2014 when Duquense defeated Pitt 1-0 in 2 OT.
The resurgent Pitt women, which had a turn-around season in 2015, played to a 2-2 tie against Michigan on the road Friday evening.
This will be the home debut Sunday for Pitt as they take on cross-town rivals who will make the short trip up Forbes Avenue.
In their tie at Michigan, freshman Alex Wright and sophomore Alli Higgs recorded their first career collegiate goals, and Pitt head coach Greg Miller was pleased with the result.
“I’m really proud of the team for them to set a precedent of how hard we’re going to work and for battling on the road to get a point against a very good Michigan team,” said Pitt head coach Greg Miller.
Miller and his staff enter their fifth season at the helm of the Pitt program, as the squad is coming off of its most successful season in program history. In 2015, Pitt recorded a program-best record of 10-7-1, grabbing four wins in ACC play (4-6-0).
The Lady Dukes weren’t as fortunate in its home opener on Friday, losing 2-0 to Central Michigan at Rooney Field.
After Friday’s loss, Duquense Head Coach Al Alvine is confident his team will be ready to take on its crosstown rivals.
“We have a day to recover and a day to get ready for Pitt on Sunday, which is going to be a very difficult game. We have a resilient bunch of kids and I’m sure we will bounce back.”
The Dukes were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic 10, despite winning the conference championship last season and sophomore forward Katie O’Connor and junior midfielder Linnea Faccenda appeared on the A-10’s Preseason Team
Alvine’s contract was recently extended through the 2021 season. This year Duquesne returns 22 players and eight starters from last season’s conference champion team, losing just nine total players and three starters
ALL-TIME SERIES
· Pitt holds an 8-3-0 all-time advantage over the Dukes in a series dating back to Pitt’s 1996 inaugural season
· Duquesne came away with a 1-0 2OT win in the teams’ last meeting on Aug. 24, 2014 in the Steel City Classic
· Prior to Duquesne’s 2014 victory, Pitt had rattled off eight consecutive victories