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FINAL: Duquesne 1, St. Bonaventure 0

Photo courtesy University of Pittsburgh athletics
NCAA Men’s Soccer – Atlantic 10 

FINAL: Duquesne 1, St. Bonaventure 0

LIVE STATS | STREAM 

 

SUMMARY

(from Duquesne University report) 

Duquesne (1-1, 1-0) made the most of a man advantage – and a strong wind at its back in the second half – to blank St. Bonaventure (3-1, 0-1) on a cold Saturday afternoon at Marra Athletics Complex in Olean, N.Y.

Freshman Maxi Hopfer scored off a pass from Nate Dragisch in the 63rd minute to give the Dukes all they’d need to snap a seven-game road losing streak.

DU, which played with a man advantage from the 35th minute on, was dominant in the second half, outshooting the Bonnies 6-3 over the final 45 minutes. Two of SBU’s three second-half shots came in the final five minutes.

DU keeper Domenic Nascimben was credited with one save as the Dukes limited the Bonnies to one first half shot on goal.

It was Duquesne’s first shutout sine a 1-0 win over GW on Oct. 12, 2019 and first road win since a 2-1 victory at Saint Joseph’s on Sept. 21, 2019.

Three Dukes, Hopfer, Torge Witteborg and Alex Crabbs, made their first career starts. Returnee Eric Zech made his first start of the season.

Hopfer was credited with a match-high five shots.

Duquesne returns to Pittsburgh for the first of three in a row at home when it hosts Dayton on Wednesday, Mar. 17 at 4:00 p.m. on Rooney Field (ESPN+).

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • St. Bonaventure’s Shea Currey hit the crossbar in the 11th minute on the first shot of the match.
  • Minutes later, Jacob Benintendi stopped a 1v1 SBU run with an outstanding challenge to win the ball just outside of the box.
  • Maxi Hopfer, off a pass from Ryan Landry, sent DU’s first shot high over the net in the 17th minute.
  • SBU’s Fredrik Hansen shot wide right of the DU net in the 26th minute.
  • DU’s first corner came in the 31st minute.
  • St. Bonaventure’s Hunter Allenbaugh was assessed a red card when he fouled Torge Witteborg in the 35th minute, forcing the Bonnies to play a man down for the remainder of the match.
  • SBU’s Isaac Boamah made a run around the left side, but shot wide left in the 37th minute.
  • Duquesne, pushing forward with the man advantage, had its best chance of the half when Nate Dragisich hit the bottom of the right post in the 40th minute.
  • DU had three of its four corners in the final four minutes of the half.
  • The Bonnies, playing with the wind at their backs, outshot the Dukes 5-3 in the opening 45 minutes. SBU had the lone shot on goal of the half.
  • DU picked up where it left off early in the second half with continued pressure in the Bonnies’ end.
  • Hopfer made a nice left-to-right cross to Landry, who slid his shot right of an open net in the 52nd minute
  • Jack Shearer took a ball over the top and shot just high from the tight right side in the 61st minute.
  • Hopfer found the back of the net in the 63rd minute on a right-footed rocket from the top of the box off a pass from Dragisich.
  • Hopfer put his final shot – his match-high fifth – wide in the 77th minute.
  • Dragisich put a shot on goal from distance in the 85th minute.
  • SBU got off its first shot of the half -which was blocked – in the 86th minute.
  • DU finished with a 9-7 advantage in shots (2-1 in shots on goal). The two teams had seven corner kicks each.

 

GAMEDAY

 

HALF – DUQ 0, STB 0

A pretty evenly played first half. St. Bonaventure with the 5-3 edge in shots, both teams have four corner kick attempts and each have a yellow card as the Bonnies have been a bit more physical (4-2 edge in fouls).

Only one save was needed, as Duquesne’s Dominec Nascimben made a save on Luca Nicastro’s shot attempt.

We will add lineups and game updates here.

Here are Duquesne’s starters …

THE SPRING SEASON

  • The Pitt game (L, 1-0) was the lone nonconference match for the Dukes, who will play six Atlantic 10 games.
  • DU will face the Bonnies, Dayton and Saint Louis twice as part of the West Division of the A-10. Davidson, George Washington, George Mason and VCU comprise the Central and Fordham, La Salle, UMass, Rhode Island and Saint Joseph’s will compete in the North.
  • The three divisional champions, plus one at-large team will compete for the Atlantic 10 Championship, which will be played on the campus of the highest seed on April 15 & 17.

THE SERIES VS. ST. BONAVENTURE

  • This is the first meeting between the Dukes and Bonnies since Oct. 5, 2019 (a 4-0 Duquesne win on Rooney Field).
  • Duquesne leads the overall series 14-8-4, however SBU holds a 5-4-3 lead in matches in Olean, N.Y.
  • The two have tied (0-0 in 2016) and St. Bonaventure has won (3-2 in 2018) in the past two meetings at SBU.
  • DU’s last win in Olean came on Oct. 12, 2014 (5-0).

LAST GAME

  • Duquesne held Pitt to a lone penalty kick goal (36′) in a 1-0 loss to the Panthers at Pitt’s Ambrose Urbanic Field.
  • It was DU’s first match since Nov. 2, 2019 and the first spring match for Pitt which went 7-1 in its fall season.
  • Freshman Ryan Goodhew led the Dukes with a pair of shots, while Jack Shearer registered DU’s lone shot on goal.
  • The Dukes held the Panthers to just nine shots (five on goal). DU keeper Domenic Nascimben finished with four saves.
  • Eleven Dukes made their debut vs. Pitt including starters Jaime Borjas, Jacob BenintendiTom TzabariAde AkinjogbinRodrigo Albayeros and Logan Muck

QUICK HITS

  • Duquesne is in its eighth season under head coach Chase Brooks. Brooks has led the Dukes to three Atlantic 10 Conference tournament appearances (2013, 2015 & 2016).
  • The Dukes return three field players who started 10 or more games for last season’s 8-8-1 team: senior F Jack Shearer (17/16), junior, D Kendall Newman (12/10) and sophomore M/F /Nate Dragisich (17/16) – a member of the 2019 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.
  • In addition, grad student D/M Ryan Landry, who has played in 46 games with 40 starts, but missed last year due to injury and junior D Eric Zech, who started 16 games as a freshman, but was limited to five games last year due to injury, are also back.
  • In all, DU returns just seven players from last year’s roster and nine players with DU experience including Landry and Zech.
  • Second-year transfer Shearer led all returnees in career games with 52 (35 at St. John’s) and career starts with 42 (26 at SJU) entering the season. Landry (45 games) and Newman (27 games) were the only other returnees who entered the season having played in more than 21 games.
  • Shearer leads all returnees with eight career goals (team-high five at Duquesne last season). Nate Dragisich (2 goals), Ryan Landry (2 goals) and Eric Zech (1 goal) are the only other returnees who have scored in a DU uniform.
  • The Dukes have 19 first-year players on the 2020 roster including 13 freshmen (one redshirt) and six transfers in junior F Ade Akinjogbin (Wofford), sophomore M Rodrigo Albayeros (Florida Atlantic), sophomore D Jacob Benintendi (Xavier), junior D Jaime Borjas Rey (Graceland U.), junior M Logan Muck (Evansville) and sophomore D Torge Wittenborg (Ottawa University-Arizona).
  • Junior Domenic Nascimben is in his first season as the starting goalkeeper. Nascimben, a native of Sydney, Australia, saw action in one game last season. He entered the season having played in six career games (425 career minutes) with four starts.
  • Duquesne has produced the ninth-most Men’s Soccer Academic All-Americas over the past 20 years.
  • DU has been recognized by the United Soccer Coaches for its outstanding academic performance with a Team Academic Award (minimum 3.0 team GPA) 18 times in the past 21 years. No other Atlantic 10 men’s soccer program has been recognized more than Duquesne since the award was instituted in 1996.
  • Duquesne produced at least one Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team member in six of the past seven years.

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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