MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Dukes (1-1-1) were stifled by No. 12 West Virginia (2-1) 3-0 in a non-conference matchup at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium Sunday evening.
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Duquesne managed to withstand the Mountaineers' pressure and kept the game scoreless for the first 33 minutes of the contest. Although WVU managed to break the tie with a goal by Isabella Sibley in the 34
th-minute, Duquesne headed into halftime with only a 1-0 deficit.
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The Mountaineers, ranked No. 12 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Association Women's Top-25 poll, sustained pressure in the second half and netted a pair of goals to pull away and deal the Dukes their first loss of the season.
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Duquesne goalkeeper
Megan Virgin (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) made four stops in net and allowed the Dukes to remain within striking distance throughout the match.
WVU held a 19-to-3 advantage in the shots category and attempted all 13 corner kicks in the match.
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The game, which was slated to start at 5 p.m., did not start until 6:20 p.m. due to lightening and storms in the area.
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The Dukes will return to Rooney Field on Sunday, Sept. 5 when they host Youngstown State for a non-conference match at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountaineers controlled possession for the majority of the first 20 minutes of play.
- Virgin kept WVU off of the scoreboard with a pair of saves. Virgin also got the help of the crossbar on another ball in the 16th-minute that kept the game scoreless.
- The Dukes had one of their best pushes of the first half in the 27th-minute. Sarah Wilkinson (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West)Â got behind the midfield and played the ball to Emma Bundy (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), who put a shot on net low-middle, but was denied.
- WVU found the back of the net in the 34th-minute and headed into the half with the 1-0 lead.
- Duquesne had one of its best scoring chances of the evening five minutes into the second half. Wilkinson got into the box from the low-right side and took a shot that went just above the cross-bar.
- WVU countered to make the score 2-0 in the 53rd-minute off of a set-piece from a corner kick.
- The Mountaineers could have easily scored two more times in the ensuing six minutes, but a diving stop and another sliding save by Virgin kept the score at 2-0.
- WVU's sustained pressure led to its third goal in the 67th-minute of play.
- The Dukes threatened in the 73rd-minute when Wilkinson sent a cross into the box that nearly connected with Hannah Nguyen (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford)Â right in front of the net.