WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. Duquesne
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (9-4-0, 3-1-0 A-10); Duquesne (8-3-2, 4-0-0 A-10)
SERIES RECORD: The Dukes lead 2-0-0
LAST MEETING: The Dukes defeated the Patriots 1-0 on Oct. 15, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason women's soccer team begins a two-game homestand, hosting the first-place Duquesne Dukes on Thursday with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Mason (9-4-0, 3-1-0 A-10) had its three-game road winning streak and season-high five-game winning streak overall snapped with a 4-0 loss at Saint Louis on Sunday. The five-game winning streak was the Patriots' longest since 2009, when they won the final five games of the regular season.
Mason was shut out for the third time and surrendered four goals in a game for the third time this season. The Patriots had won the first three games in Atlantic 10 Conference play for the first time in program history before falling to the Billikens.
Sophomore Emily Littell scored her first collegiate goal with just over three minutes left in double-overtime last Thursday to lift the Patriots to a 2-1 win at UMass. Littell is one of six Mason players to tally a game-winning goal this season. The Patriots went 1-1-0 on their two-game trip.
“Getting points on the road is always a bonus, both Saint Louis and UMass were tough to play against” said Mason head coach Todd Bramble. “I'm proud of the way the players responded, going a goal down at UMass and finding a way to come back and get a win.”
Mason has recorded each of its last four wins by a single goal with two decided in double-overtime.
Nine different players have scored at least one goal for Mason over the first 13 games. Senior Sarah Hardison, who led the team with 10 goals in 2015, leads the team with seven goals and 16 points while classmate Alex Myers is second on the team with four goals and 12 points.
Four of Hardison's goals have been the first goal of the game for Mason and three have been game-winners. Freshman Hugrun Olafsdottir, junior Kaila Williams and Myers are tied for the team lead with four assists each.
Senior Nicolette Herdegen, along with juniors Erin Mitchell, Jenna Hamilton and Abby Downey have each found the back of the net twice over the first 13 games of the season. Both of Downey's tallies have been game-winners. Seven players have scored at least two goals for the Patriots.
The Patriots are 6-2-0 at George Mason Stadium and have won their first two home games in conference play for the second straight season. Mason has never won three consecutive Atlantic 10 games at home. In 2015, the Patriots finished with a home record of 2-3-0 against conference foes and went 4-5-1 against the A-10 overall.
“Duquesne's on a roll right now and they have some momentum,” Bramble said of the conference matchup. “They've been good away from home. We are looking forward to the game against a team that puts in an honest effort and is playing well. The fans and the players are in for a real treat.”
The Patriots entered the week ranked eighth in the latest NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region poll. Mason is ranked 73rd out of 334 Division I teams in the NCAA women's soccer RPI rankings. Three of the Patriot's losses this season have been to teams that rank in the top 12 in RPI (Georgetown 5th, Oklahoma 8th, and Virginia 12th).
Duquesne leads the all-time series against Mason 2-0-0. Last season, Malea Fabean scored the lone goal of the game in the 40th minute of play to lead the Dukes to a 1-0 win over the Patriots at Rooney Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Dukes outshot the Patriots 14-5 in the first half and 21-9 for the game. Both teams recorded five shots on goal in the contest. Mason registered all five of its shots on goal in the first half, with Dukes goalkeeper Kyra Murphy stopping all five to earn the win. Patriot's goalkeeper Kirsten Glad made four saves.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Duquesne (8-3-2, 4-0-0 A-10) is off to its best Atlantic 10 Conference start in program history. The first-place Dukes outshot Davidson 15-9 and scored twice in the second half in a 2-0 win over the Wildcats on Sunday. Senior Haley Yow netted the eventual game-winner for the Dukes from inside the box in the 59th minute and junior Linnea Faccenda added an insurance goal in the final minute of play.
The Dukes have won five straight games, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 16-2 with three shutouts. Duquesne's five-game streak ties for the second-longest winning streak in program history.
Duquesne is 5-0-1 on the road and has outscored opponents by a combined score of 18-3 with three shutouts away from home. The Dukes have scored at least three goals in each of their last three road games, defeating Saint Francis 6-0 on Sept. 23, VCU 3-1 on Oct. 2 and coasting to a 4-1 victory at St. Bonaventure on Oct. 6.
The Dukes are ranked 10th in the latest NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region poll. The Dukes, like the Patriots, are one win away from matching their Atlantic 10 Conference win total from a year ago.
Duquesne has outscored opponents 10-7 in the first half and 16-3 in the second half over their first 13 games of the season. The Dukes have outshot opponents 96-69 in the first half and 105-75 in the second half during the 2016 campaign.
The Dukes have scored 26 goals and allowed 10 over the first 13 games of the season. Duquesne has surrendered just two goals over the last five matches. This season, the Dukes have not allowed more than two goals in any game.
The Dukes have had 12 players score at least one goal this season. Sophomore Katie O'Connor leads the team in scoring with six goals and 18 points. Junior Malea Fabean is second on the squad with four goals and 11 points. In goal, sophomore Kyra Murphy (8-3-2) has made 60 saves and allowed just 10 goals over 13 appearances. She has a 0.78 goals against average with four shutouts.
Duquesne finished with an overall record of 12-10-2 and went 5-5-0 in Atlantic 10 play last season. The Dukes were 7-3-1 at home and 3-7-0 on the road during the 2015 campaign.
