KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Gannon women's soccer team is heading back to the PSAC championship game.

This time, the Golden Knights are determined to claim the program's first PSAC title.

Coach Colin Petersen's Gannon team advanced to the conference title game for the second year in a row by beating PSAC East No. 1 seed Kutztown 2-0 on Friday evening. It was the Golden Bears' first loss of the season.

Freshman midfielder Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and senior forward Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) scored for Gannon, which will advance to face defending PSAC champion West Chester in Sunday's 1 p.m. title game at Kutztown. The

Golden Rams beat the Knights 3-0 in last year's PSAC title game and eventually finished as the NCAA Division II national runner-up.

Gannon improved to 15-3-2 on the 2023 season while earning its second consecutive trip to the title game.

GU's freshman dynamic duo of Emanuel and Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) combined on the first goal at the 12:24 mark. Respecki hustled to steal a pass deep in Kutztown's end of the field, then found Emanuel cutting through the box. She rifled a shot to the left of the diving goalie.

It was Emanuel's conference-leading 13th goal of the season, and it was Respecki's league-best 14th assist. Respecki leads the conference with 38 points, and Emanuel is tied for second with 30.

Defense again set up Gannon's second goal. The Kutztown goalie tried to clear the ball from Kutztown's end, but a sprinting Nicklas stole the pass dribbled a few strides and rocketed a shot to the left side of the net at the 34:07 mark.

Gannon protected the lead the rest of the way as it limited Kutztown to eight shots in the game and just four shots on goal. Winning goalie Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) made saves on those four shots as she earned the win and the shutout.

Gannon had 13 shots in the game, a total that included five from Emanuel and four from Respecki.


Sunday's matchup:

The Golden Knights will turn their attention to West Chester, which eliminated Mercyhurst in a 2-1 overtime victory earlier Friday.

Gannon will have to find a way to stop PSAC East Player of the Year Faith Matter, who had a goal and an assist against Gannon in last year's title game.

Matter scored the tying goal against Mercyhurst on Friday before Kaitlynn Haughey won the game with a goal just 11 seconds into overtime.

Gannon already avenged one loss last season. Kutztown was the team that eliminated Gannon from the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional with a 1-0 win over GU.

Now Gannon will try to avenge another loss from 2022 when it takes on West Chester on Sunday.