ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's soccer team concludes the regular season Saturday, October 29 against rival Mercyhurst at Gannon University Field. The contest, in conjunction with other Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matches during the league's final day of action, will determine Gannon's seeding in the upcoming conference tournament. Saturday's game time against Mercyhurst is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Live gameday statistics will be available at
http://www.gannon.edu/athletics/women/soccer/lstats/xlive.htm.
Gannon enters the final day of the regular season with an 8-4-4 overall record and 5-4-4 PSAC mark. The Lady Knights have already clinched their third post-season appearance in the last four seasons, but are tied with Bloomsburg (6-6-1 PSAC) for seventh place. Both teams have 19 points and can still enter the post-season tournament as either the seventh or eighth seed. Gannon will secure the seventh seed with a victory against Mercyhurst or if it finishes tied with Bloomsburg since the Lady Knights win the tiebreaker based on their 2-1 victory against Edinboro at Gannon University Field on September 14. The Huskies host East Stroudsburg Saturday afternoon.
A first-round opponent could be much more difficult to determine until after Saturday's action. If Gannon enters the tournament as the eighth seed, it will travel to PSAC regular-season champion California (Pa.) for the conference quarterfinals. If Gannon finishes seventh, it could travel to any of four possible destinations. Kutztown, Edinboro, Slippery Rock and Indiana (Pa.) are separated by one point and any of the four could still finish second.
Saturday will also be Senior Day as five seniors will be honored during pregame ceremonies -
Maggie Brinkman (Clarence Center, N.Y./Clarence),
Andrea Eisenhart (East Liverpool, Ohio/Beaver Local),
Katie Urban (Columbia Station, Ohio/Padua Franciscan),
Amanda Sharbaugh (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) and
Valerie Lang (McMurray, Pa. Peters Township).
Sharbaugh leads the Gannon offensive unit with 15 goals, four assists and 34 points. The senior forward ranks second among all NCAA Division II players in goals and eighth in points. She has tied her own school record for goals in a season and her 34 points equals the third-highest single-season total in school history, three shy of Erin Cray's (1999) school record.
Justine Rodrigues (Georgetown, Ontario/Georgetown District) and
Michelle Genetin (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) have scored four and two goals, respectively. Brinkman has played every minute in goal, producing a 1.29 goals against average and .771 save percentage.
Mercyhurst brings a 7-9-1 overall record and 4-8-1 conference slate into the rivalry match. The Lakers were eliminated from post-season contention Wednesday night with a 3-0 loss at East Stroudsburg. The squad has dropped seven of its last nine matches.
Senior Molly Marsh headlines the offensive unit with six goals, three assists and 15 points. Sophomore Aina Torres and freshman Maire Dunning have added five and four goals, respectively. Graduate student Rachel Griepsma has started every match in goal, owning a 1.37 goals against average and .720 save percentage.
Mercyhurst leads the all-time series 23-1-4, including a 7-1 home victory during last season's regular-season finale.
