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Duquesne sees three players receive weekly honors

Photo credit: Zachary Weiss/Pittsburgh Soccer Now

Both the Duquesne men’s and women’s soccer teams were well represented in the Atlantic 10 weekly awards as three players received recognition for their respective efforts.

Junior forward Lauren Bell was named Atlantic 10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week and is the first to receive this nod since Katie O’Connor won it Oct. 2, 2017.

Bell scored the decisive goal in the 100th minute as Duquesne defeated Lehigh 2-1 in double overtime. The goal was the seventh in her Duquesne career and 17th overall point.

“Ever since I have known her in high school, she’s always figured out a way to get a big goal,” Duquesne women’s soccer coach Al Alvine said. “I thought (Sunday) was a really good game. I was very proud of how she led the line when she was out there.”

Teammate, sophomore goalkeeper Megan Virgin was named Defensive Player of the Week allowing two goals in 210 minutes of play.

In four games, Virgin has conceded five goals and has an .808 save percentage with 21 total saves.

Virgin is new to Duquesne this year having transferred from LIU Brooklyn, but is not new to Pittsburgh as she graduated Canon-McMillan High School which is where former Dukes keeper Kyra Murphy attended.

The two were teammates and as is the case now at Duquesne, Virgin replaced Murphy in goal upon the latter’s graduation.

“We’ve got three really good goalkeepers but right now she is playing the best so she is playing,” said Alvine. “We are comfortable with all three of them, Megan is a kid without any glaring holes in her game, she is a well-rounded goalkeeper.”

On the men’s side, senior goalkeeper Robbie McKelvey was named Defensive Player of the Week.

McKelvey conceded one goal in 200 total minutes of play and has a streak of 193 scoreless minutes between the pipes.

The Dublin, OH native amassed 14 saves over the weekend including a penalty kick Friday evening against Bowling Green and his eight saves against Oakland were one away from matching a career-high.

This is the second time McKelvey has earned this recognition, with the first time coming Oct. 22, 2018.

“When you have confidence between the pipes and that last man, that’s a big deal,” Duquesne men’s soccer coach Chase Brooks said. “To have Robbie playing the way he has been is outstanding. I look forward to watching him the rest of the season.”

The Duquesne women’s soccer team next travels to play North Carolina State Sunday at 1 p.m. and the men host VMI Saturday at 11 a.m.

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