MILLERSVILLE, Pa. –  The fifth-seeded Gannon University men's soccer team came from behind twice in the second round of Saturday night's NCAA Division II Tournament to force overtime and then penalty kicks against four-seed Millersville University, but could not overcome the Marauders on their home pitch. Millersville won the shootout 4-3 to advance to the round of 16. Gannon's excellent season comes to a close with a 16-3-3 overall record. It is the Golden Knights' second-most amount of wins in a season in the last decade, with only the 2019 season's 18-3 record surpassing it.
 
Millersville opened the scoring with a Matteo Adiletta goal in the fifth minute, but an own goal by the Marauders after a dangerous Lennox Crews (Offenbach, Germany/Leibnizschule) cross in from the left side in the 12^th minute evened things up at 1-1. Matt Lynch gave Millersville the lead again in the 62^nd minute but Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain) slid a quality through ball to Benjamin Querling (Zuelpich, Germany/Emil-Fischer Gymnasium) in the 70^th minute which was expertly finished to make it 2-2 and prolong the match.
 
Max Rocco was a force in goal for Gannon, totaling 12 total saves in the match, diving and sprawling on the turf to keep the ball out of the net . Millersville peppered the goal with 28 shots (15 on target) while Gannon mustered seven shots (five on frame), including four total from Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain).
 
A spell of Gannon possession led to the Golden Knights' equalizer in the 12^th minute, as Tinashe Katsande (Norwich, England/Dereham Sixth Form College) sprayed the ball down the left wing to Lennox Crews (Offenbach, Germany/Leibnizschule), who had acres of space to work with. Crews whipped in a dangerous cross with his left foot that bounced off the leg of Millersville defender Jake Altimore and rolled into the net past goalkeeper Bobby Bosch to tie the game, 1-1.
 
Gannon keeper Maximiliano Rocco (Florence, S.C.) made four pivotal saves in the first half, including an incredible diving save in the 23^rd minute on a shot from Millersville's Matteo Adiletta. Rocco, in full stretch, leaped to his left and pushed the ball away to deny the Marauders.
 
The Golden Knights' first shot of the first half came win the 25^th minute, as Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain) dialed one up from about 30 yards out that was well-saved by Bosch. Del Castillo notched both of Gannon's shots in the first half (and both were on-target.)
 
Rocco would again come to the rescue in the 38^th minute, as Millersville substitute Matt Lynch charged into the box and found himself in a one-on-one opportunity. Rocco was quick enough to get his body in front of the ball to yet again avoid the threat.
 
The Gannon defense was supporting Rocco with maximum effort as well; just three minutes into the second half the ball flashed across the face of goal towards Millersville's Spencer Shortt, with Rocco out of position from an earlier deflection. The Shortt effort headed for the bottom right corner of the goal until freshman Magnus Klausen cleared the ball off the line to once again stonewall the Marauders' attack.
 
The Marauders' offense would break through again in the 63^rd minute a ball from the midfield line was booted ahead towards Lynch. Despite a shout for offside from the Gannon defense, Lynch received the ball and toe-poked the ball past Rocco to make it a 2-1 Millersville advantage.
 
The Golden Knights would not go away, however—in the 70^th minute a ball found its way to Del Castillo in the midfield. He brilliantly controlled it down, looked into the box, and spied Ben Querling making a run. Del Castillo's through ball hit Querling in stride and Ben launched a low screamer of a shot into the back of the net to tie the game, 2-2.
 
Klausen again played the part of defensive hero with just four minutes left to play in regulation. A Spencer Shortt shot screamed toward the near post but Magnus arrived just in time to block it away. Regulation ended with the game knotted, 2-2, as the match headed into overtime to decide which team would advance into the round of 16. Despite quality chances for each team in both overtimes, neither could find the golden goal and penalty kicks were necessary to determine a winner.
 
Gannon converted on penalty kicks from Joe Knox (Gold Coast, Australia/The Southport School), Del Castillo, and Crews—and Max Rocco dove to his right to make a save on the attempt by Spencer Shortt—but the four other Marauders shooters converted to keep their season alive. Millersville advance to face top seed Franklin Pierce (20-1), the top seed in Super Region 1, who defeated ninth seed Post University 4-1 in the second round.