GREENSBURG, Pa. –  The No. 15-ranked Gannon University men's soccer team outlasted the Seton Hill Griffins in a drama-filled double overtime contest 2-1 to claim sole possession of first place in the PSAC West. The Golden Knights improve to 10-1 overall (4-0 PSAC) while Seton Hill falls to 6-4-1 overall (3-1 PSAC.) Joe Knox (Gold Coast, Australia/The Southport School) struck in the 56^th minute to bring the Knights back into the game and freshman Herman Aanberg (Hamar, Norway/Wang Toppidrett Oslo) rifled home a powerful shot at the beginning of the second overtime to claim the Knights' sixth consecutive victory.
 
Seton Hill opened the scoring in the 38^th minute, when Brice Gandhi chipped the ball ahead for substitute Anton Dupont, who had been on the pitch for all of five minutes. Dupont ran onto it at the top of the box and got a foot on it to flick it past Gannon keeper Maximiliano Rocco (Florence, S.C.) to give the Griffins the 1-0 lead. Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain) finished the first half with three shots (two on frame) but could not find the equalizer.
 
Gannon would have to wait until the second half to tie the game. In the 56^th minute, Bek Nurlanbek (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Loughborough College) did not hesitate in the midfield to volley a loose ball forward into space. Knox—who has been a terror for opposing defenses recently—received the ball and tucked it past the keeper, rolling it slowly into the bottom right corner of the goal. The goal was Knox's third in as many games, and Nurlanbek's assist was his second of the season and his first since Sept. 8. Bek also had a great look at goal in the 75^th minute but whistled the shot wide to the right. The full 90 minutes of regulation expired with the match tied 1-1 and extended into overtime.
 
The Golden Knights averted disaster with just 16 seconds left in the first overtime. The Griffins earned a penalty kick after two players collided and both went down inside the box. Luc Holden stepped up to the spot but booted his shot high above the crossbar to push the match to double overtime, where Gannon wasted no time in beginning to attack.
 
Right from the opening kick, Gannon pushed the ball upfield—with Knox sliding a great through ball to Del Castillo in front of goal. Del Castillo's initial shot rebounded with pace directly to Aanberg on the right wing, who smashed the ball into the net for the golden goal—the first of Aanberg's collegiate career.
 
Statistically, the Knights held advantages in shots (18 to 14), saves (six to four), and corner kicks (12 to five). Gannon has now been involved in two overtime matches in 2021: the other was a 3-2 win over the University of the District of Columbia back on Sept. 12. In the team's last full season (2019), four total matches concluded in overtime.
 
The Golden Knights return to the pitch in just three days on the road at Mercyhurst on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m.