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Brown Matches Two Program Records In Duquesne Women’s Soccer Season Opening Victory

Duquesne Women’s Soccer captain Mackenzie Muir went up to teammate junior forward Margey Brown and the message was simple, it felt like one of them was going to put the ball in the back net.

It turned out that Brown wound up being the literal Smooth Operator, taking inspiration from her goal celebration song, to record the 11th hat trick in program history and first since Sept. 15, 2009, when Deena DeBaldo accomplished the feat.

“After that first goal where it ricocheted off my shot and she finished it, we just ran to each other arms open,” Muir recalled. “There’s nothing better than opening the season with a team goal like that. After that third one I was so happy for her. Smooth Operator is a great song, so I’m glad she picked that.”

Brown also assisted on Duquesne’s first goal, a corner kick in the 10th minute, giving her seven points on the evening, which tied her for the most points in a single game, a feat accomplished twice previously and not done since Oct. 26, 2001.

“Margey got a hat trick and those were great goals,” Duquesne coach Al Alvine explained. “The third one, she asked the questions and put defenders under pressure and puts goalkeepers under pressure. You saw the first goal she scored, she drove to the goal, anticipating the rebound.”

Duquesne scored six goals Thursday night, the second most in a season opener as it got off to a 1-0 start, thanks to a 6-2 triumph over Mercyhurst, a program playing its first-ever contest as an NCAA Division I institution.

The six goals are the most the program has scored since Sept. 15, 2019, the aforementioned DeBaldo hat trick game.

“I’m really happy,” junior captain Lindsay Krafchick revealed. “We’ve been working this whole preseason on scoring more goals and we certainly did.”

As far as the game went, Duquesne dominated in many facets, most notably peppering the Lakers with 35 shots, 19 of which were on frame.

Brown’s 10th minute strike off a corner kick proved to be Alvine’s favorite goal of the evening, not just because it found sophomore forward Hailey Longwell who started in her return to the field from ACL, but by how she scored the goal.

“I really liked Hailey’s header, that’s her trademark, that’s her training, that’s her forte,” revealed Alvine. “In training and in the scrimmages, she’s gotten really frustrated because it hasn’t happened for her, so to have her come out and power home the first goal off a header off a corner kick that’s great for her and great to see.”

Just a couple of minutes later, a team-effort saw Brown score her first goal of the evening. Lindsay Krafchick’s long ball found Longwell, and her pass set up Muir for a shot. While Mercyhurst goalkeeper Kate Constantini found an answer for the shot, Brown anticipated a rebound and put the ball in the back of the net.

All of a sudden, a clear point of emphasis during practice settings resulted in the Dukes second goal.

“It’s a mindset just to keep pressing and to go hard,” Brown said of the score. “A lucky bounce to me and I was able to put it away. It’s the mindset to be there when the ball is there.”

Duquesne was dictating play and doing so as a team, before a miscommunication lead to Mercyhurst’s first goal. A long ball saw multiple players out of position and left the net wide open, which Rosie Bandura capitalized on.

It was a miscue which clearly irritated Alvine because the lack of communication led to what he considered both indecision and “a bad decision all the way around”.

Four minutes was all it took to bounce back and reclaim an edge. The goal allowed Duquesne to regain composure and was a mood booster of sorts as Krafchick made an individual effort to intercept a Lakers pass and successfully fire a shot on goal.

The score was Krafchick’s second as a Duke and left her excited and desiring more goals in the future.

“I thought we did a good job of playing on the front foot, even after we conceded a goal,” examined Alvine. “After we conceded the first goal to make it 2-1, we came back, and Lindsay got a great goal. A left-footed goal, the game-winning goal, which for an outside back is great. Coming out and scoring a goal right after halftime and then they get the goal.”

Duquesne remained the aggressors coming out of the locker room at halftime, as evidenced by Brown’s second goal, this time off a Muir pass.

Longwell matched Brown’s second goal, with another of her own in the 52nd, once again off a Muir shot which was not handled by the keeper. Longwell broke free for the rebound.

“She’s insane,” Brown offered. “Coming back from two ACLs and getting two goals. She already had some in preseason, but to get two goals in her first game is incredible. It gives me chills because she’s working so hard to get that.”

Brown’s hat trick came three minutes later, a goal she considered lucky because it deflected off a Mercyhurst player, but it counted all the same.

Throughout the evening, Alvine went to subs, as he stated following the game there are 17 players he feel could start any given game. A total of 22 Dukes saw time.

This allowed Alvine to manage minutes from players, some of whom were returning from injury, something the team felt it did well.

Mercyhurst struck once more in the 57th minute with Annaliese Black converting from a free kick after Duquesne was called for a foul.

All told despite the two blemishes, Alvine was largely pleased with the effort.

“It was some good stuff, it was fun to watch,” proclaimed Alvine. “A lot of passing, moving, kids were not afraid to express themselves out there which was great. If I look at the three games we played so far, Robert Morris, Cleveland State and tonight, this is by far the game I’m most happy with it, even though we didn’t concede a goal in the other two.”

Duquesne will next face a seventh-ranked Pitt team which played to a scoreless draw against #14 Georgia Tech. That contest will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. on a neutral site in Highmark Stadium.

“It’s nice to be able to play on a neutral field, so no one has an advantage,” Krafchick analyzed. “It’s going to be a tough game, but we’re ready.”

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Duquesne starters (1-0-0)- Maddy Neundorfer (GK), Jayden Sharpless, Kayla Leseck, Margey Brown, Lindsay Krafchick, Hailey Longwell, Mackenzie Leeder, Eva LaVecchia, Mackenzie Muir, Maya Matesa, Natalie Gilbert

Mercyhurst starters (0-1-0)- Kate Constantini (GK), Alyssa Poleski, Safia Paraiso, Anamari Bosnjak, Teagan Mehalko, Anna Bader, Chloe Kalina, Kara Van Horn, Rebecka Habursky, Anna Clark, Bella Flask

Goals– Hailey Longwell DUQ (1st, 10′), Margey Brown DUQ (1st, 13′), Rosie Bandura MU (1st, 30′), Lindsay Krafchick DUQ (1st, 34′), Margey Brown DUQ (2nd, 47′), Hailey Longwell DUQ (2nd, 52′), Margey Brown DUQ (3rd, 55′), Annaliese Black MU (1st, 57′)

Cautions– Anamari Bosnjak (13′)

Shots– Duquesne 35 (19 on frame) Mercyhurst 3 (2 on frame)

Corners– Duquesne 7 Mercyhurst 2

THEY SAID IT

“I definitely think that we haven’t hit our stride yet. As a first game and a home opener, nerves were high. We obviously played Mercyhurst in the spring and that went very well for us. Once we hit our groove I think we’re going to be better than last year. I think this is going to be one of our best seasons.” – Mackenzie Muir assessing the win

“I think it goes to show women’s sports are super important. Even though we don’t have the students on campus, everyone who was here showed out for us.” – Margey Brown on the spirited crowd which included multiple Duquesne teams in the stands

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