By Keira Kusmaul
staff writer | kusmaulk@duq.edu
Ben Deihl
staff writer | deihlb1@duq.edu

Set against a backdrop of twinkling lights, Christmas music and a horse-drawn carriage, the Duquesne men’s soccer team defeated La Salle 1-0 on Friday night at Rooney Field, staying undefeated at home and moving on to the semifinal round of the A10 tournament.

This marks the first A10 playoff win for the men in four years, with their last postseason win also coming against La Salle 2-1 at home Nov. 5, 2022.

The game was a highly physical one, with offensive opportunities coming at a premium. Redshirt freshman defender Steel Bayer took the only shot on goal in the entire game for the Dukes. The goal came from a corner, one of nine that Duquesne took.

Redshirt senior midfielder Jaxon Ervin took the corner, sending the ball soaring through the center of the field, where 6-foot-5 Bayer launched a towering header to the top left corner. A miscommunication between La Salle senior defender Zeke Zambrano and graduate goalkeeper Sean Ellis allowed Bayer’s shot to sneak across the goal line, spelling eventual disaster for the Explorers. The goal was the first of Bayer’s career.

“I was praying before the game that we could win this game,” he said. “I was happy I was able to be the guy. As soon as I was able to get the ball clean off my head and find the back of the net, just could not wait to go celebrate with my teammates and embrace each other in hugs and handshakes. It was unbelievable.”

This win was especially significant to the Dukes, who lost 3-0 to La Salle last week in Philadelphia.

“It’s always good to take a loss and go back and do it again, and just make sure that we can become the better team when it matters most,” Bayer said.

The Dukes attempted 13 shots, which was six fewer shots than the last time the two teams met.

“We knew, again, coming into this one, that again, the win is what mattered most,” said Duquesne Head Coach Chase Brooks. “If it was pretty, great. If it was ugly, great. It doesn’t actually matter. At the end of the day, you’re in the postseason. You’ve got to find a way to get results, and I give the guys a lot of credit.”

Although Duquesne managed to hang on to their slim lead, La Salle fought to the very end. The Explorers had a strong offensive push in the last few minutes, punctuated by a shot by senior forward Kyrese Lynch-Bailey, who is tied for the second-most goals for La Salle this season. The shot went through the goal area but was fielded by Duquesne redshirt senior goaltender Sam Coss.

The passion of both teams overflowed following the final whistle when a shoving match broke out. The altercation started between Duquesne’s Jameson Michel and La Salle goalkeeper Sean Ellis, with players from both teams rushing to join in. The fight was broken up by staff from both teams as the Duquesne players broke off to celebrate with each other and with the fans.

This game was the most well-attended men’s soccer game of the season so far. The fans had really high energy throughout the game, cheering when Duquesne had opportunities and vocally opposing calls when the Dukes were penalized.

“The crowd was absolutely fantastic,” Brooks said. “I think you could definitely hear ’em, especially in some of the more contentious moments, having our back, and those moments, they matter. They just do. So, I think it was brilliant from the crowd tonight.”

With the win, the Dukes advance to the semifinal round of the A10 tournament, where they will host No. 6 Fordham on Tuesday afternoon. These two teams have not met yet this season. Duquesne lost the last meeting with Fordham 1-0 in 2025.

“They’re gonna throw us some new curveballs that maybe we’ve seen, or maybe we haven’t seen this year,” Brooks said. “And so we’ve got to be prepared to step out on the field and get the job done.”

If the Dukes are able to get past the Rams on Tuesday, they will advance to the A10 finals to take on the winner of No. 5 Davidson and No. 2 Saint Louis. Duquesne has never won an A10 title but finds itself just two matches away from history.