Kaitlyn Killinger’s early golazo & Ali Hughes’ nine-save clean sheet lift Duquesne past Kent State

On a day dedicated to celebrating local women’s soccer heritage, it was only fitting that a pair of former WPIAL standouts delivered the winning magic on the Bluff.

Former Plum star Kaitlyn Killinger unleashed a stunning 6th-minute wonder goal—off a precision outlet pass from another former WPIAL standout — Jayden Sharpless—and senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes stood tall with a career-high-matching nine saves to lift Duquesne to a 1-0 victory over Kent State on Sunday at Rooney Field.

The victory marks back-to-back clean-sheet wins for the Dukes (3-2-0), who closed out their annual Moe Rosensteel Match with a performance that honored the deep roots of Western Pennsylvania soccer.

A WPIAL Combination for the Winner

Duquesne wasted no time setting the tone, capitalizing on an early transition moment in the 6th minute.

Sharpless, logging another full 90-minute shift in midfield, hit a long, measured outlet pass down the near sideline into space. Killinger sprinted to corral the ball on the left wing, isolated her defender one-on-one, and stepped into tight space before ripping a left-footed strike above Kent State keeper Emma Klein into the top-middle panel of the net.

The goal was Killinger’s second of the campaign—and her second left-footed strike of the week.

“Her goal was beautiful,” said Duquesne head coach Jessica Giegucz to SID Jim Duzyk after the contest. “I’m really proud of her, because she’s striking the ball extremely well. She baits players into one-on-one and is able to get out of it with her footwork, and as you can see that goal proved big for us. Two left-footed goals for her this week says a lot about the work she’s putting in.”

Hughes Holds the Line

While Killinger provided the early firework, senior goalkeeper Ali Hughes provided the foundation.

Kent State owned the eventual shot advantage (16-6), but Hughes turned in a masterclass in shot-stopping and backline organization. After posting seven saves in each of her previous two outings, Hughes topped herself on Sunday, denying all nine Kent State shots on target to register her second consecutive shutout, her third of the season, and the 10th of her career over the last two years.

“We still settle into the defensive third really well,” Giegucz noted post-game. “Once we settle in, we’re extremely organized. Obviously, Ali does a very good job of organizing everybody, and her communication is great… (Ali) gives us security. You always know she’s going to be totally engaged. She can puppeteer before it actually happens.”

Moe Rosensteel Match & Local Footprints

Sunday’s fixture carried special emotional weight as the program hosted its annual Moe Rosensteel Match, honoring the legacy of the late Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel and bringing together deep ties from across the WPIAL landscape.

On the pitch, the local flavor extended beyond the scoring sheet. Butler product and Michigan State transfer Samantha Miller started for the Golden Flashes, recording a team-high three shots for Kent State. Meanwhile, former Moe Rosensteel Award winner Kalsey Salopek (Steel Valley) and freshman Mary Mascaro (Upper St. Clair) are on the Kent State roster, but did not play.

Match Notes & Historical Context

• Rivalry Dominance: With the win, Duquesne extended its head-to-head streak over Kent State to three straight victories, improving to 5-3-0 all-time against the Golden Flashes.

• Sharpless’ Playmaking: The opening assist was the first of the season for Sharpless and her first since her freshman campaign in 2023. She has now started all 61 career games in her collegiate tenure.

• Iron Women: Joining Sharpless with complete 90-minute performances on Sunday were defenders Reagan Basehore and Kiley Johnson.

• Giegucz in Close Games: Under Coach Giegucz, the Dukes are now 5-3 in matches decided by a single goal.

Up Next

Duquesne will look to sweep its three-game homestand when they wrap up play at Rooney Field on Thursday, Sept. 3, hosting Toledo at 1:00 PM EDT.