FINAL: Fordham 3, Duquesne 0 (Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Quarterfinal)

2024 Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinal Round 

FINAL Fordham 3, Duquesne 0

Match Summary

Duquesne Dukes men’s soccer team were unbeaten at home through the regular season and in its last 12 matches, but Fordham Rams grew more comfortable playing at Rooney Field in the past week, winning the rematch between the clubs, 3-0, on Saturday in the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinal Round, advancing in the tournament and ending the Dukes’ season.

The Rams broke open a match that was scoreless at the half, thanks to a hat trick from Daniel D’Ippolito.

The Dukes end the season with an 11-4-3 overall record.

Look for more detailed recap and reaction to follow from Pittsburgh Soccer Now’s Zachary Weiss.  

Match Day Updates

FINAL — FORDHAM 3, DUQUESNE 0

Fordham advances to the #A10MSoc semifinals as #DuqMSoccer loses its first game on Rooney Field this season 3-0

84′ — #DuqMSoccer already down 3-0 — Mikey Morales is issued a red card for a hard challenge and will now play a man down

76′ — GOAL — FORDHAM 3, DUQUESNE 0

Referee lets the players play on a potential Fordham foul and the Rams take advantage. Hat trick for D’Ippolito!

76’ | In a class of his own.

Daniel D’Ippolito with his second hat trick of the season and Fordham leads 3-0 late. pic.twitter.com/hrFXxVePs9

— Fordham Men's Soccer (@FordhamSoccer) November 10, 2024

72′ — Fordham with a nice combo rush but Nagy’s instincts keep this a 2-0 deficit for #DuqMSoccer

65′ – Moksnes fires one high of target – ZW

61′ — Jonke’s head in the box at 61′ sails wide. #DuqMSoccer has had ample looks in the box but have not been able to make its presence known where it needs to be most. The scoreboard. 

pic.twitter.com/f5T9vHPdQ1

— Fordham Men's Soccer (@FordhamSoccer) November 10, 2024

61′ — GOAL — FORDHAM 2, DUQUESNE 0

#DuqMSoccer has been really opportunistic in the box but unable to capitalize. Instead Fordham turns defense into offense and it is D’Ippolito again at 61′. Rams in front 2-0. — ZW

56′ — Hopfer with a header in the box but right at the Fordham keeper — ZW

53′ — Jonke with a great run — has a good look at the goal but misses the target — ZW

46′ — GOAL — FORDHAM 1, DUQUESNE 0

Fordham gets the angle and puts one in the back of the net. Rams on top 1-0 off Daniel D’Ippolito’s foot

HALF — DUQUESNE 0, FORDHAM 0

30′ — Hopfer hits the post and Ervin’s comeback shot is handled

Match Preview

Saturday, Nov. 9 | 7:00 p.m.
Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Live Stats | Watch

PSN Coverage:  Zac Weiss (X/Twitter @ZacharyMWeiss)

The Duquesne University men’s soccer team look to continue to protect their house at Rooney Field yet again — as the Dukes will host No. 5 seed Fordham Saturday for the quarterfinals of the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship at Rooney Field.

Entering the postseason tournament as a No. 4 seed, the Dukes are looking to build on what’s been another positive regular season and turn it into postseason success.

Ironically, they’ll face Fordham just one week after the two teams concluded the regular season with a 1-1 draw at Rooney Field.

“This time of the year, there’s no surprises.  You know who you are,” Head Coach Chase Brooks told Pittsburgh Soccer Now‘s Zac Weiss after beating Northern Kentucky in the Dukes’ last non-conference win.

“It’s about showing up, and making sure we execute to the best of our ability. Go out, just be us, and have fun doing it and go from there.”

Throughout the season, Rooney Field has been tough for opponents to play, with fans right on top of the action but also a defensive intensity which may be the best Duquesne has ever had — continuing its home unbeaten streak to 12 matches without a loss.

Brooks and his staff have made the proper adjustments from last season to ensure his bend-don’t-break philosophy stifles opponents night in and night out.

“Everyday we step foot on the field, it’s an opportunity to get better,” Brooks said.

“This is a group that believes in everything we’re doing.  They love being around each other. They love the process. They love celebrating goals.  Everyone knows their role. They’re willing to sacrifice and have each other’s back. You can’t ask for more than that from the group.”

Now, for all the success they’ve had in pushing the program forward in the regular season — with 11 wins and even National Rankings and recognition at different points –the Dukes now enter the do-or-die, knockout portion of the campaign where they hope to push the program to greater heights with another run in the conference tournament.  In 2021, the Dukes last made a strong run to the Atlantic 10 Final, before losing to eventual champion, Saint Louis.

“We talk about our standards and our principles, and if you want to be champions, or championship material, you can’t let your standards drop,” Brooks added.

In last week’s match against Fordham, the Dukes were trailing, 1-0, entering the second half.

Still, senior Christoffer Vie Angell scored at 79:03 to tie the contest, with Maxi Hopfer and Jack Rhead registering assists.

The point proved to be crucial for the Dukes, which put them in position to play host to Fordham once again on Saturday night.

Something will finally give between the two sides as playoff soccer will see a winner, as the last three times the schools have met, they’ve ended in a draw.

The Rams are led by fifth-year Head Coach Carlo Acquista, who guided the Rams to the 2020 NCAA Championship.

Prior to its 1-1 draw with Duquesne, Fordham earned a 5-1 win over Loyola Chicago (Oct. 26), as Andrew Insalaco scored a pair of goals and also added an assist. Junior midfielder Daniel D’Ippolito sits second in the A-10 in scoring with 27 points courtesy of 10 goals and seven assists  D’Ippolito ranks second in the conference in goals behind Alex Hughes (12) of Massachusetts while leading the Atlantic 10 in shots on goal (29) and ranking second in shots (59)

Saturday marks the 24th meeting in the all-time series between Fordham and Duquesne, with the Rams owning an 11-8-4 (.565) edge.

It’s a wide-open Atlantic 10 field, with Friday’s Quarterfinal results proving that, as both of the top seeds advanced, but in close contests.

George Mason claimed the 2024 Atlantic 10 regular-season championship and as the No. 1 seed topped No. 8 La Salle, 2-0, in Fairfax, Va., on Friday.

Dayton, the No. 2 seed, advanced by beating No. 7 seed Davidson, 1-0, at the same time.

Massachusetts secured the No. 3 seed and hosts No. 6 seed Saint Louis Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before the Dukes and Rams play the final game of the quarterfinals Saturday night.

DUQ MSOC MATCH NOTES

•  Senior goalkeeper Zoltan Nagy is a three-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week honoree and enters Saturday’s match leading the conference in save percentage (.825) and saves (66) while sitting second in goals against average (0.90) and saves per game (4.13).
• A 2-1 win over Mount St. Mary’s (Sept. 24) helped head coach Chase Brooks garner his 83rd career victory on the Bluff, allowing him to pass former head coach Wade Jean (1998-2005) for the most wins in program history. In 12 years at Duquesne, Brooks has recorded a mark of 88-86-27 (.505). Overall in 14 seasons, Brooks is 110-98-36 (.525) as a head coach.
• A total of 12 Dukes have registered a point through the end of the 2024 regular season, as the assist for redshirt sophomore Blaize Hardy in a 2-1 win at No. 13 George Mason (Oct. 12) marked his first point on the Bluff.
• Atlantic 10 Championship Nuggets
  • Duquesne is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship and 14th in program history
  • The Dukes own a mark of 5-11-3 (.342) in the A-10 Tournament, including runner-up finishes in 1999, 2002 and 2021
  • Duquesne and Fordham have met once in the Atlantic 10 Championship, with the Rams earning a 4-0 win over the Dukes in 2016 in Davidson, N.C.
  • Duquesne is making its first appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship as a No. 4 seed
  • The Dukes are 1-1 (.500) in the A-10 Tournament in games at Rooney Field, both of which came in 2022 with Duquesne as the No. 2 seed
  • The Dukes earned a 2-1 win over No. 7 seed La Salle in the first round of the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship before falling to No. 4 seed Loyola Chicago, 1-0, in the semifinals
  • Former forward Zach Mowka (2020-23) earned a spot on the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship All-Tournament Team after scoring both goals in the victory over the Explorers.
• Maximum Overdrive – Maxi Hopfer has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Dukes during his career on the Bluff, and after a 2023 season where he dealt with injuries, the senior forward is looking to go out on a high note.
  • Hopfer has scored a point in eight of Duquesne’s last 10 games entering the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship and owns career totals of 25 goals, 15 assists and 65 points.
  • Hopfer ranks fourth all-time for the Dukes in points (65) and is just three points shy of moving into sole possession of second place. Former forwards Simon Gomez (2010-13) and Joshua Patterson (2009-12) rank second and third, respectively, in points with 67 and 66.
•  The Magic Touch – While senior forward Maxi Hopfer owns 65 career points, it’s his flair for the dramatic that has him atop the career record book at Duquesne. Hopfer is tied for the NCAA Division I lead this season in game-winning goals with five, joining Marius Stenner (Delaware), Donovan Sessoms (Sacramento State), Bryan Akongo (Rider), Emil Jasskelainen (Akron), Elie Kisoka (Kansas City), Alexis Ledoux (UC Santa Barbara) and Jesus Barea (Missouri State). The five game-winning markers give Hopfer 12 for his career on the Bluff, a new program standard. The old record of 10 was held by former Dukes David Gingrich (1999-2002) and Damien Pottinger (2000-03).
• The Iron Man – Senior Jesper Moksnes has been a steady presence for Duquesne on defense this season, as he is one of five Dukes that have started all 16 matches. In those 16 games, Moksnes has played 1,440 of a possible 1,440 minutes. He enters the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship having started each of the last 18 matches he’s appeared in and owns 47 starts among his 48 career matches.
• One – Despite a 1-0 setback at Massachusetts, the Dukes own a record of 30-9 (.769) in one-goal matches since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, including an 8-1 (.889) mark this season. Included in that stretch is a 18-3 (.857) record in such games at Rooney Field and a 12-6 (.667) mark on the road.
• Defense Wins Championships – Duquesne enters the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship ranking second in save percentage in NCAA Division I. The Dukes have turned away 83.9 percent of their shots this season, which trails only SIUE, which tops the leaderboard with a save percentage of .854. In their three losses this season, the Dukes have allowed seven goals. In its other 13 matches, Duquesne has given up just seven markers. The Dukes also rank in the top 25 nationally in both goals against average (0.88) and saves per game (4.56), ranking 22nd and 25th, respectively, in the categories.