ERIE, Pa. — The Mercyhurst football team picked up their first NEC loss of the season Saturday evening at Saxon Stadium. The Lakers fell to Duquesne, who moves to 3-0 in NEC contest, 37-0.  
 
Early in the first quarter, Mercyhurst's defense, led by Jeff Leavell and Anthony Mackey, made several tackles but could not prevent Duquesne from advancing steadily. The opening drive concluded with a 20-yard touchdown pass, putting the visitors ahead.
 
Mercyhurst's subsequent drive was halted quickly, culminating in a punt. Duquesne capitalized on the field position, scoring a 59-yard rushing touchdown to extend their lead. Mercyhurst attempted to respond but ended the quarter trailing 14-0.
 
The second quarter began with Duquesne capitalizing on strong field position, concluding an early drive with a 21-yard field goal by Matt Clark, increasing their lead. The Lakers responded with a promising defensive play as Patrick Carter intercepted a pass from Tyler Riddell, returning it 15 yards to set up the offense at the Duquesne 35-yard line. Despite the turnover, the subsequent drive stalled, and Duquesne extended their advantage with another field goal later in the quarter.
 
Mercyhurst's offense showed resilience with a first down conversion from a 15-yard pass by Adam Urena to Rylan Davison. However, a fumble by Brian Trobel was recovered by Duquesne's Avery Morris, who returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. The quarter concluded with the Green and Blue trailing by a score of 27-0 in favor of Duquesne.
 
Mercyhurst opened the third quarter with a determined drive, showcasing a balanced attack. Trobel led the ground efforts, rushing for several critical gains, including a 9-yard run to set up a first down at Duquesne's 47-yard line. Urena connected with Davison on a crucial 16-yard pass to advance the drive into the red zone, but the effort was stymied by a missed field goal attempt from 36 yards by Max Young.
 
Following the failed field goal, Duquesne capitalized on their possession, overcoming two early false start penalties with a series of effective rushes by Ness Davis. The drive advanced deep into the Lakers' territory, but Duquesne's progress was hindered by a holding penalty, ultimately resulting in a 31-yard field goal by Matt Clark, bringing the score to 30-0.
 
Duquesne got the ball back quickly with a drive concluding with a 16-yard touchdown run by Dazhaun Hopkins to move the score to 37-0.
 
Carter led the defensive efforts with an interception, which he returned for 15 yards. Mackey posted a team-high nine total tackles in the matchup. Jake Miller contributed with seven tackles. On offense, Davison caught six passes, accumulating 48 receiving yards