MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Although the Robert Morris University men's soccer team kept knocking on the door Wednesday afternoon, it stayed closed in a 2-0 loss to non-conference rival Duquesne at the North Athletic Complex.

For the second straight match, the Colonials (1-6-0) outshot their opponent, but the Dukes had the only finishing success, getting second-half goals from Jack Shearer and Manel Busquets.

Junior forward Christian Coridon had RMU's closest attempts at goal, with a first-half crack that was blocked in questionable fashion by a defender's upper arm, then a second-half point-blank blast that Duquesne keeper Robbie McKelvey made a reaction save on.

Both chances arrived with the match still scoreless, but RMU is still searching for its first 1-0 lead of the season. Although the Colonials rallied for a 2-1 win last Thursday against California Baptist, they haven't scored the critical first goal yet in seven matches.

"Better today," head coach Bill Denniston assessed of his attack. "Today was the first time we looked like we wanted to score. We were getting forward a little bit better. Didn't happen, but progress."

Michael Petitti, Matt Cillo and Christopher Coridon also found themselves with good looks in and around the Dukes' penalty area, but none of those shots got through to McKelvey. Of the Colonials' 17 shots, just four ended up on target.

Considering the occasion, with the cross-town Dukes invading the NAC, the result was painful to the Colonials. The home team hadn't lost in this Pittsburgh Derby in 10 years, dating back to Duquesne's previous win on campus.

The Dukes (5-0-1) stretched their win streak to five with the result, despite RMU having the better of the play in the first half. But just after Coridon's second near-miss, Busquets broke open on right wing and banged a pass into the box that Shearer deposited past sophomore keeper Grant Glorioso.

"It was a great goal," Denniston allowed. "Not much you can do about speed. We just needed to have one more man back than they did."

There were more opportunities for RMU to prevent a second consecutive shutout loss, with Riccardo Rota putting a couple of shots on target in the second half. However, the Colonials couldn't seriously test McKelvey after Busquets made it 2-0 on an individual counterattack down the right side..

The Colonials have one more non-conference match -- this Sunday vs. Howard -- to cleanse their palates before starting Northeast Conference play next week.

"As long as I've been at RMU, we've gotten it turned around for conference play," junior defender Oeyvind Skjesol said. "I'm confident we will again."

Sunday's kickoff against the Bison is set for 11 a.m., starting a NAC doubleheader with the women's team.