Box Score
CALIFORNIA, Pa.- Making its first appearance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Semifinals, the No. 7 seed Gannon women's soccer team fell to the No. 6 seed West Chester Golden Rams, 3-0, at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility hosted by top seed California (Pa.) on Friday afternoon. The meeting marked the first time the two teams met at the PSAC Tournament.
The Lady Knights (10-8-1) captured their first postseason victory in program history with a 1-0 upset of No. 2 seed Slippery Rock on Nov. 5 to earn a spot in the PSAC Semifinals. The Rock entered the match ranked 15th in the nation, marking the Lady Knights' third win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
With the victory over Gannon, West Chester (13-6-0) will face California (Pa.) in the PSAC Championship on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The top seed Vulcans earned a spot in the title match by defeating No. 5 seed Shippensburg, 3-2, in penalty kicks after scoreless action in regulation and extra sessions. West Chester will make its sixth appearance in the PSAC Championship in school history, clinching the team title on five occasions.
Sophomore Mani Brueckner (Valencia, Pa. / Mars Area), sophomore Rachel Evans (Westlake, Ohio / West Lake) and junior Michelle Genetin (Navarre, Ohio / Perry) recorded a shot each, as the Lady Knights finished with three shots each finding its way on goal.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Geffel (Apollo, Pa. / Kiski Area) registered three saves in the loss. West Chester goalkeeper Alex Srolis held on for her ninth shutout of the season with three saves.
In the opening half, West Chester captured a 2-0 lead over the Lady Knights. The Golden Rams took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute of play with an unassisted goal by Ashley Saylor. In the 40 minute mark, WCU leading scorer Calry Yost deflected a shot off the far post and into the net for a 2-0 lead.
Playing with a two-goal lead throughout the second half, West Chester added a goal in the 82nd minute to extend its lead to 3-0. On a cross pass from Yost to the left side, Scarlett Walsh headed the ball inside the far post for her first goal of the season.
West Chester held an 11-3 shot advantage over the Lady Knights including a 5-1 edge in the first half. The Golden Rams recorded three corner kicks with the Lady Knights having two chances.
The Lady Knights will now wait to see what their future holds in a bid to the NCAA Atlantic Regional held Nov. 15-17. The Lady Knights were ranked eighth in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings released on Nov 6. The ranking did not include their 1-0 win over No. 15 Slippery Rock on Nov. 5. The Lady Knights will await an opportunity to continue in the postseason with the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
