Leo Martinez-Valerio | staff writer

The Duquesne women’s soccer team beat visiting Cleveland State 4-1 on Thursday, boosting the Dukes’ record to 4-1. The win gave Duquesne a much-needed confidence boost after a tough 3-0 loss at West Virginia on Aug. 28.

The match’s first goal came quickly, when in the 11th minute, a shot bounced off Cleveland State’s keeper Hayleigh Lewis and was put away by senior phenom Maya Matesa. This goal by Matesa marked her eighth of the season, giving her a new personal record for goals scored in a season in only her fifth game played this year.

Matesa has been continuing her historic pace so far this season, working her way into the history books. Now with 20 career goals, Matesa is tied for third with Erica Carey (2002-05) on Duquesne’s career goals list, only behind Audra Matthews (2004-07) with 21 goals and Katie O’Connor (2015-18) with 25. Matesa is fifth all-time in points, ninth in shots and only two goals behind the Dukes’ single season record of goals scored, currently held by Lauren Bracco (2003) with 10.

The rest of the half was a heavy defensive battle for the Dukes. The starting defensive trio of Eva LaVecchia, Lindsay Krafchick, and Emerson Connelly held their own against the vicious Vikings attack. Krafchick and junior midfielder Jayden Sharpless appeared in all 90 minutes for the Dukes, becoming the mainstays of the team. Junior goalkeeper Ali Hughes secured the net with six saves.

“They are solid, they are really managing scenarios well,” Head Coach Jessica Giegucz said. “I am very impressed with how organized my team is overall. Defensively we are just very solid.”

Sharpless has proved to be instrumental to the team’s success in recent years. Since arriving on the Bluff in 2023, she has started in every game Duquesne has played. Sharpless has also played a full 90 minutes in every game this season, giving the Dukes a strong, reliable backbone.

The Dukes owned the first 15 minutes of the second half, where they scored three goals in five minutes. Junior forward Kaitlyn Killinger started the offensive onslaught, sending a shot screaming past the outstretched Lewis to make the score 2-0.

The third goal came just four minutes later at the 59th minute mark. A high arching ball was sent into the box where it ping-ponged between Viking defenders and Duke forwards. With all of the chaos, the Vikings ultimately fell victim to an own-goal, giving the Dukes a 3-0 advantage.

Approximately one minute later, the Dukes hammered the final nail into the coffin. Matesa dribbled up the center of the pitch where she saw junior Paige Kuisis out of the corner of her eye. After receiving Matesa’s pass, Kuisis graced the top left corner of the net with the Dukes’ fourth goal of the game.

“In that 15-minute span in the second half, we were winning the ball and spreading it wide,” Giegucz said.

“Two of our goals came from the right side by freeing up one of our wingers, and I really love that. I am proud of our players for taking that opportunity that they had.”

Cleveland State’s Mayra Sesmas broke Duquesne’s shutout bid in the 70th minute, notching an unassisted goal for the Vikings and giving them a positive to talk about on the bus ride home. Sesmas was Cleveland State’s most effective shooter, tallying five total shots, four of them being on goal. She was responsible for over half of the Vikings’ offensive production against the Dukes.

For the aggressive-minded Geigucz, the win provides more film to watch and build from. She understands the weight of Duquesne’s conference-heavy second half of the schedule and wants to ensure her team is ready to go for any situation.

“We have three more games of nonconference play left, so we are just going to keep looking to make more improvements,” Giegucz said. “We want to put ourselves in the best position we can to be the best team for A10 playoffs.”

The Dukes will face off against Youngstown State on Sept. 11 at Rooney Field. Duquesne will be looking to defend their home pitch and move their home record to a perfect 3-0. Conference play opens up on Sept. 21, when the Richmond Spiders come to Pittsburgh.

Leo Martinez-Valerio can be reached at martinezvaleril@duq.edu