2023 women's soccer team photo

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

Match Preview: Gannon and Mercyhurst Meet for Third Time in Atlantic Regional

No. 4 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (15-4-2) vs. No. 5 MERCYHURST LAKERS (16-3-1)
NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL FIRST ROUND
DATE/TIME: Friday, November 17, 2023 | 1:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Welch Athletic Complex l Charleston, W.Va.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO


THE NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL
First Round (at Millersville)
Friday, November 17, 2023
No. 4 GANNON vs. No. 5 Mercyhurst – 1:00 p.m.

First Round (at Kutztown)
Friday, November 17, 2023
No. 3 West Chester vs. No. 6 Frostburg State – 3:00 p.m.
No. 2 Kutztown vs. No. 7 Concord – 6:00 p.m.
Second Round
Sunday, November 19, 2023 (at Charleston, WV)
No. 1 Charleston (WV) vs. winner Gannon-Mercyhurst – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 19, 2023 (at Kutztown)
Winner Kutztown-Concord vs. winner West Chester-Frostburg State – 1:00 p.m.

 
 
THE GANNON-MERCYHURST SERIES
Mercyhurst leads 27-11-6
Gannon swept both of last year's meetings by scores of 2-1 at Mercyhurst and 3-1 at McConnell Family Stadium but the Lakers have returned the favor this year with a 4-2 win at McConnell Family Stadium and a 2-1 triumph at Mercyhurst. The first meeting in mid-September marked the first time Gannon had lost to Mercyhurst since 2019 and was the first time Mercyhurst had won at McConnell Family Stadium since 2006. Gannon is 4-2-1 in the last seven meetings with the Lakers.

First Meeting: Sept. 16, 2023 – Mercyhurst 4, at Gannon 2 | RECAP
Mercyhurst was able to jump out to an early lead and hold off the Golden Knights despite Gannon holding a 24-9 advantage in shots. The Lakers grabbed a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the match and scored again in the 26th minute, both courtesy of Karah Van Horn. She earned the hat trick early in the second half as the Lakers scored twice in a span of six minutes to go up 4-0. Gannon rallied with a pair of goals, both courtesy of Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton).

Second Meeting: Oct. 21, 2023 – at Mercyhurst 2, Gannon 1 | RECAP
The two teams battled without a goal for over 70 minutes before Mercyhurst scored a pair of goals within a seven-minute period, the second coming at 78:23. Six minutes later at 84:18 Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) found the back of the net off a pass from Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Golden Knights were unable to complete the rally, however. Gannon held a 21-5 advantage in shots
 

ERIE, Pa. – Gannon makes its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and faces a very familiar foe in the first round. The distance between the campuses of Gannon and Mercyhurst is 3.1 miles. The two teams will travel 340.5 miles to Charleston, W.Va, to play each other for the right to move on in the Atlantic Regional.
 
The third meeting of the year between the two crosstown rivals will take place at Welch Athletic Complex on the campus of Charleston (WV) on Friday, November 17 at 1:00 p.m. in the first round of the Atlantic Regional. Gannon comes in as the number four seed with a 15-4-2 record while Mercyhurst is 16-3-1 and is the number five seed.
 
Mercyhurst won both previous meetings this season by scores of 4-2 and 2-1 to finish as the PSAC West regular season champion, but it was Gannon advancing to the PSAC Championship Game with a 2-0 upset of Eastern Division champion Kutztown, while the Lakers were losing 2-1 to West Chester in the semifinals.
 
Friday's winner will face No. 1 seed Charleston on Sunday, November 19 at 1:00 p.m. in the Atlantic Region semifinals. A year ago Gannon defeated Frostburg State 3-0 in the opening round before losing to Kutztown 1-0 in the semifinals.
   
Head coach Colin Petersen squad has featured a blend of experience and youth all season. A number of key performers are back from last year, and Petersen's squad has been energized by a host of talented freshmen. The first-year players have accounted for over half of Gannon's goals (31 of 61).

Petersen has guided the young team to a third straight season with at least 12 wins, and the 15 victories is tied for the second-highest total in school history. They've done so thanks to a high-scoring attack that is sixth in Division II and first in the PSAC in goals with a school-record 61. The Golden Knights' defense hasn't been too shabby either, allowing just 29 goals with seven shutouts.
 
Fast Facts for Gannon and Mercyhurst
 
2W Gannon Golden Knights (15-4-2, 13-2-1 PSAC East)
Head Coach: Colin Petersen (203-161-38, 22nd season)
Leading Scorers: Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) (12G-14A-38 pts); Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (13G-4A-30 pts); Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) (5G-9A-19 pts); Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) (7G-1A-15 pts)   
Goalkeeper: Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) (14-2-2, 1.03 GAA, .672 save pct, 5 SHO)
All-PSAC Players: Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) (PSAC West Freshman of the Year, 1st Team); Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) (1st Team); Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (1st Team); Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (1st Team); Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) (1st Team); Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) (2nd Team); Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) (2nd Team)
Fast Facts: Gannon is making its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and reached the PSAC Championship Game for the second straight year … the Golden Knights are the top-scoring team in the PSAC and is tied for fifth nationally with a school-record 61 goals.
 
1W Mercyhurst Lakers (16-3-1, 14-1-1 PSAC West)
Head Coach: Rich Wall (16-3-1, 1st season; 51-36-6, 35th season overall)
Leading Scorers: Corinne Morgan (11G-8A-30 pts); Karah Van Horn (9G-11A-29 pts); Madison Hoover (5G-6A-16 pts) 
Goalkeeper: Maddie Elbro (16-3-1, 0.61 GAA, .846 save pct, 10 SHO)
All-PSAC Players: Rich Wall (PSAC West Coach of the Year); Karah Van Horn (PSAC West Athlete of the Year, 1st Team); Maddie Elbro (PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year, 1st Team); Taryn Baxter (1st Team); Corinne Morgan (1st Team); Madison Hoover (1st Team); Teagan Mehalko (2nd Team)
Fast Facts: Mercyhurst is the second-highest scoring team in the PSAC with 57 goals while also standing second in fewest goals allowed (12). The Lakers have shut out 13 opponents … the 16 wins are one shy of the school record of 17 wins set in 1990 ... Mercyhurst was ranked 19th in the final regular season United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25.  
 
Gannon in the NCAA Tournament
2009 
vs. IUP -- T, 0-0 (IUP advances 5-4 on penalty kicks)
2012   
vs. West Va. Wesleyan – L,  0-2
2015   
EDINBORO -- L, 1-2 ot
2017   
vs. West Virginia Wesleyan -- L, 0-2
2021   
vs. Bloomsburg – L, 1-2 ot
2022  
FAIRMONT ST – W,  3-0
KUTZTOWN – L, 0-1

Head Coach: Former Gannon soccer great Colin Petersen is in his 24th season with the Gannon soccer program and 22nd as the head coach of the women's soccer program in 2023. He picked up his school-record 200th career victory recently with a 3-1 win at Seton Hill. Petersen, who has also spent time in a dual position as an assistant for the men's program, was hired as the seventh head coach in the history of the women's program on February 13, 2002. Petersen is the winningest and longest-tenured coach in the 36-year history of the Gannon women's soccer program. He was inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2017. Petersen holds more than 100 wins more than any other coach and owns an overall record of 203-161-38. Gannon has produced a .500 record or better during 14 of the last 15 seasons under Petersen and now has ten 10-win seasons. The Golden Knights have qualified for the PSAC Tournament 11 times in Petersen's tenure, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

A Look Back at the PSAC Tournament
For the second straight year Gannon advanced to the PSAC Championship. For the second straight year the Golden Knights finished as the runner-up thanks to a loss to West Chester, but the gap has definitely closed. The Golden Knights dropped a heart-breaking 2-1 decision when West Chester scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute. It came just over five minutes after Gannon had knotted the score at 1-1 on a goal by Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic), assisted by Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler). Gannon reached the semifinal upsetting the Eastern Division top seed, handing Kutztown its first loss of the season by a 2-0 score. Grace Emanuel's (Erie, Pa./McDowell) 13th goal of the season at 12:24, assisted by fellow freshman Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane), gave Gannon a 1-0 lead. The Golden Knights added an insurance goal by Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) in the 35th minute. Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) kept the Golden Bears off the board for her fifth shutout, registering four saves. Gannon opened the tournament with a 4-2 win over Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals. Freshmen Emanuel, Respecki and Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./McDowell) accounted for a goal apiece, with Jamie Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) scoring the fourth goal.  

Respecki Named PSAC West Freshman of the Year; Seven Golden Knights Earn All-PSAC Honors
Freshman Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year earlier this week when the conference announced its major award winners. From nearby General McLane High School, the freshman was one of seven Golden Knights to earn All-PSAC West accolades. Five of those players earned spots on the first team, with two more landing on the second team. Three members of Gannon's freshman class were selected, all on the first team. In addition to Respecki, former McDowell High School teammates Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./McDowell) were also named to the first team. Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) was named as a defender for the third time. The senior is now a two-time first team honoree along with one second team selection. Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) repeated as a first-team selection after also being named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year in 2022. Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) was named to the second team for the second straight season and Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) earned the honor for the first time.

Freshman Tandem Ranks One-Two in PSAC Goals, Respecki First in Points
Head coach Colin Petersen has reaped the benefits of an outstanding recruiting class this year. Three of them were accorded first team All-PSAC West honors and two have emerged as the leading goal-scorers in the conference. Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) took the lead with her 13th goal in the PSAC semifinal win over Kutztown. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane), the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, ranks second in goals with 12 while leading the PSAC in assists (14) and points (38). Emanuel is third in points with 30. All told freshmen have accounted for over half of Gannon's goals (31 of 61).

Keeping Up with the Record Book 
Gannon has set a school record with 61 goals this season. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane), Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) are etching their names in the Gannon record books. Emanuel's 13 goals rank sixth in a season, with Respecki tied for seventh in goals with 12. Respecki set the school record for assists with her 14th in the PSAC semifinals vs. Kutztown and ranks third for points in a season with 38. Boden has nine assists to boost her career total to 21. That ranks sixth in the career records.  
 
15 Wins Tied for Second All-Time
Gannon's 15 wins this season is tied for second for victories in a season. The 2015 team set the school record with an 18-3-0 record. Last year's squad finished at 15-4-4.

Next for the Golden Knights
The winner of the Gannon-Mercyhurst first round game moves on to play host Charleston (WV), the number one seed, in the Atlantic Region semifinals. That match will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 19 at Charleston. The Golden Eagles are 18-0-3 and defeated Gannon 4-1 in early September.
 
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Players Mentioned

Leah Bermudez

#2 Leah Bermudez

D
5' 4"
Graduate Student
Psychology
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

M/F
5' 7"
Junior
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

M
5' 6"
Sophomore
Logan Nicklas

#29 Logan Nicklas

F
5' 7"
Senior
Applied Exercise Science
Jamie Seneca

#12 Jamie Seneca

M
5' 5"
Junior
Morgan Sinan

#0 Morgan Sinan

GK
5' 7"
Senior
Cybersecurity
Hannah Shepard

#3 Hannah Shepard

D
5' 9"
Freshman
Brooklyn Respecki

#7 Brooklyn Respecki

F
5' 3"
Freshman
Exercise Science
Grace Emanuel

#24 Grace Emanuel

M
5' 3"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Leah Bermudez

#2 Leah Bermudez

5' 4"
Graduate Student
Psychology
D
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

5' 7"
Junior
M/F
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

5' 6"
Sophomore
M
Logan Nicklas

#29 Logan Nicklas

5' 7"
Senior
Applied Exercise Science
F
Jamie Seneca

#12 Jamie Seneca

5' 5"
Junior
M
Morgan Sinan

#0 Morgan Sinan

5' 7"
Senior
Cybersecurity
GK
Hannah Shepard

#3 Hannah Shepard

5' 9"
Freshman
D
Brooklyn Respecki

#7 Brooklyn Respecki

5' 3"
Freshman
Exercise Science
F
Grace Emanuel

#24 Grace Emanuel

5' 3"
Freshman
M