Celebration

Women's Soccer Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Hosts Cal U Looking to Move Closer to PSAC Tournament Berth

CAL U VULCANS (3-9-0, 3-8-0 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (8-2-2, 8-2-2 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 23, 2021 | 5:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: McConnell Family Stadium l Erie, Pa.
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THE GANNON-CAL SERIES
Gannon leads all-time series 16-12-1
First meeting: 1991
Last meeting: Sept. 22, 2021 – Gannon 2, Cal 0 | RECAP
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon University women's soccer team continues its quest for a berth in the PSAC Tournament on Saturday, October 23, hosting Cal U in a Western Division match. The contest gets underway at 5:00 p.m. at McConnell Family Stadium. The Lady Knights come in riding a four-match winning streak, improving to 8-2-2 overall and in PSAC West action. Cal is also looking to extend a winning streak after improving to 3-9-0 overall and 3-8-0 in conference play with back-to-back victories.

Gannon's four-match winning streak is the longest since the 2017 squad posted five straight victories and has propelled the Lady Knights into first place in the Western Division. Gannon has 26 points, one point ahead of Slippery Rock's 25 points. The top four teams in each division qualify for postseason action. Gannon has climbed to sixth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region rankings.

Cal, meanwhile, served notice that while the Vulcans may noy be in the playoff chase, they will factor into who does make it. The Vulcans surprised Edinboro in their last outing a week ago, upsetting the Fighting Scots 1-0 in overtime. That was preceded by a 2-0 shutout of Clarion.

Head coach Colin Petersen's Lady Knights won the first meeting at Cal by a 2-0 margin on September 22. Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Sarah Fails (Girard, Pa./Villa Maria) each scored their first goals of the season in that first meeting, with Fails and Laurel Prokopchak (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) picking up assists. Gannon controlled the game in the offensive end, holding a 16-2 advantage in total shots, including a 10-1 margin in shots on goals. Jordan August (Morgantown, W. Va./Morgantown) recorded the shutout in goal.

While Gannon leads the all-time series by a 16-12-1 margin, the Lady Knights have dominated of late. They are 6-0-1 over the last seven meetings, with Cal last winning in 2014.

Gannon's fourth straight win came on Wednesday as the Lady Knights claimed a 2-0 decision at Indiana(Pa.), scoring a goal in each half. Taylor Lewis (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) opened the scoring just over three minutes into the match with her seventh goal of the season. Kayla Bevacqua (Welland, Ontario/Notre Dame) added an insurance goal, her third of the year, in the 79th minute off a feed from Megan McCartney (Chicora, Pa./Karns City). Kennedy Solymosi (Eastlake, Ohio/Lake Catholic) registered six saves in goal for her third shutout.

Gannon features a balanced scoring attack, with eight different players scoring goals. Lewis, a redshirt senior forward, leads the way with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Boden, a freshman midfielder, adds four goals and an assist, with Fails and Bevacqua each showing three goals and three assists. Senior Solymosi has seen the majority of action in goal, showing a 7-1-2 record with a 0.96 GAA and a .800 save percentage.

Cal has scored 12 goals this season, with Juliana Cruz accounting for a third of those. The junior has four goals and two assists for 10 points. Freshman Ashley Venezia adds three goals as only six players have scored a goal this year. Emily Ouimet will likely be in goal. The freshman has a 1.93 GAA but a .794 save percentage.

Just three matches remain in the regular season following the Cal contest, with Gannon playing its final road game on Wednesday, October 27 at Edinboro. That will be followed by home contests against Clarion (Nov. 3) and Slippery Rock (Nov. 6).
 
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Players Mentioned

Jordan August

#34 Jordan August

GK
5' 8"
Junior
Undeclared
Kayla Bevacqua

#17 Kayla Bevacqua

M/D
5' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Sport and Exercise Science
Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

F
5' 4"
Junior
Taylor Lewis

#10 Taylor Lewis

F
5' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Health Science
Megan McCartney

#12 Megan McCartney

M/F
5' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Sport Management and Marketing
Laurel Prokopchak

#9 Laurel Prokopchak

M
5' 7"
Senior
Accounting
Kennedy Solymosi

#21 Kennedy Solymosi

GK
5' 3"
Senior
Physician Assistant
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

M
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jordan August

#34 Jordan August

5' 8"
Junior
Undeclared
GK
Kayla Bevacqua

#17 Kayla Bevacqua

5' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Sport and Exercise Science
M/D
Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

5' 4"
Junior
F
Taylor Lewis

#10 Taylor Lewis

5' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Health Science
F
Megan McCartney

#12 Megan McCartney

5' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Sport Management and Marketing
M/F
Laurel Prokopchak

#9 Laurel Prokopchak

5' 7"
Senior
Accounting
M
Kennedy Solymosi

#21 Kennedy Solymosi

5' 3"
Senior
Physician Assistant
GK
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

5' 7"
Freshman
M