The postseason path to an NCAA Tournament berth begins tonight on the Bluff.
The top-seeded Duquesne Men’s Soccer team opens quarterfinal action in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Rooney Field, taking on No. 8 seed La Salle.
The Dukes (9-5-2, 6-2-0 A-10) enter tournament play holding their first Atlantic 10 regular-season championship in 21 years and their first outright crown since 2004. However, standing in their way is the exact same La Salle squad (7-7-3, 3-3-2 A-10) that handed Duquesne a 3-0 defeat in Philadelphia just six days ago in the regular-season finale.
Despite that bump in the finale, head coach Chase Brooks and the Dukes aren’t dwelling on the setback. They are locked in on the bigger picture: securing an A-10 Tournament title and an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
“This is obviously an awesome moment for the group, but our job is not done yet,” Brooks said following the regular-season conclusion.
“We want to go prove that the season as a whole wasn’t a fluke, that we deserve to be where we are and that we are the best team in this conference. We know if we want to go to the NCAA Tournament this year, we’re probably going to have to win the whole thing, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re aiming to host a championship and win a championship on Rooney Field.”
MATCH DETAILS & WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Matchup: No. 1 Duquesne Dukes (9-5-2) vs. No. 8 La Salle Explorers (7-7-3)
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Date & Time: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. ET
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Location: Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Coverage: Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats available on GoDuquesne.com
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On-Site Reporting: Look for Pittsburgh Soccer Now’s Zac Weiss reporting live from the Bluff with match photos, analysis, and post-game reaction!
KEY STORYLINES & TACTICAL BREAKDOWN
1. Fortress Rooney Field
Home-field advantage is everything for Duquesne. The Dukes boast a stellar 37-6-7 (.810) mark over their last 50 matches on the Bluff dating back to 2021. In their last home appearance on Oct. 24, Duquesne dominated VCU in a 3-0 shutout. “We’re very good at home, but again we can’t take anything for granted,” Brooks emphasized. “We have to go and show people who we are and what we’re about, and we have to take it.”
2. Tactical Refocus: Defense First
Duquesne earned its regular-season title largely on the strength of an elite defensive framework. The Dukes lead the Atlantic 10 and rank tied for 16th in NCAA Division I with a 0.88 goals-against average. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Sam Coss—a two-time A-10 Defensive Player of the Week—has played all 1,440 minutes this season, ranking 26th nationally in GAA (0.88) and 35th in save percentage (.778). After allowing three goals last weekend in Philly, Coss and the backline will look to re-establish their lockdown form.
3. Tournament History & Rematch Vibes
This marks Duquesne’s 15th A-10 Tournament appearance and fifth in the last six seasons. Interestingly, the last time Duquesne won an A-10 Tournament match came in the 2022 quarterfinals—also at Rooney Field, and also against La Salle (a 2-1 Duquesne win). Duquesne holds a 14-8-3 advantage over La Salle in the all-time series.
4. Attack Leaders
The Dukes’ attack features strong balance, led by forward Cody Da (13 points, 6 goals) and redshirt senior Jaxon Ervin (30 career points), who scored the game-winner against Dayton earlier this fall. Sophomore Hákon Dagur Matthíasson has also come alive late in the year, scoring goals in back-to-back contests down the stretch.
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