PITTSBURGH – The RMU men's soccer team battled to a 2-2 draw against cross-town rival Duquesne on Sunday. The Colonials now sit at an 0-0-2 record in the early campaign.
 
FIRST HALF
Duquesne started the game with two early corner kicks, but the RMU defense held firm. The Colonials then settled in, pressing the Dukes' backline and controlling more of the possession.
 
RMU broke the scoreless tie in the 25th minute on a long throw-in from William Dodzi Afawubo. Victor Thompson flicked a header to the back post where Jack Bejarano was positioned to tap it in, giving the Colonials a 1-0 lead.
 
Just five minutes later, RMU extended its lead. After a foul on Duquesne's Ofek Sasson just outside the box, Anass Hadran took the free kick, which hit the woodwork. Freshman Royie Rahamim followed through on the rebound, heading the ball into the net for his first career goal and a quick 2-0 lead for the Colonials.
 
The Dukes responded just four minutes later, with Dakota Jonke scoring on a free kick to cut the RMU lead to 2-1 before halftime.
 
SECOND HALF
Duquesne controlled the second half, outshooting RMU 7-1 through the first 30 minutes.
 
The Dukes finally found their equalizer with 10 minutes remaining in the match. Roni Badler scored the tying goal off a one-touch finish from a pass from the left wing, finding the back of the net to make it 2-2.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Duquesne posted 20 total shots with seven on target, while the Colonials registered seven shots with three on target. The Dukes also had five corner kicks compared to RMU's one. In net, Josh Lane made five saves. Fabian Overkamp, Anass Hadran, Kevin Gorbell, and Victor Koah all played the full 90 minutes.
 
COLONIAL FIRSTS
Local product and freshman John Krug made his collegiate debut, playing 12 minutes in the match. Freshman Royie Rahamim scored his first career goal on a header and now has played 156 minutes and registered two shots through two games.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Under Head Coach Jonathan Potter, the Colonials are 1-1-1 against Duquesne, outscoring them 5-3. In 2023, RMU fell 1-0 at Duquesne, then defeated the Dukes 3-0 in 2024 at the North Athletic Complex.
 
QUOTABLE
"Duquesne is a tough opponent and a very good team," said Potter. "There was a lot of fighting for possession and trying to win second balls. It was a good early season test for us. We've learned a lot through our first two games. We've played two very good opponents in Mercyhurst and Duquesne. We get a week to train now and are excited to get better for our next game."
 
UP NEXT
The Colonials will play their home opener against non-conference opponent Mount St. Mary's on Monday, September 1 at 4:00 PM.
 
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