2023 women's soccer team photo

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

Sweet 16 Preview: No. 4 Seed Golden Knights Meet No. 3 West Chester in Rematch of PSAC Championship Game

No. 4 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (17-4-2) at No. 3 WEST CHESTER GOLDEN RAMS (16-3-3)
NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL FINALS
DATE/TIME: Friday, December 1, 2023 | 1:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Rockwell Field l West Chester, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 

THE NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL
First Round (at Millersville)
Friday, November 17, 2023
No. 4 GANNON 1, No. 5 Mercyhurst 0

First Round (at Kutztown)
Friday, November 17, 2023
No. 3 West Chester 1, No. 6 Frostburg State 0
No. 2 Kutztown 3, No. 7 Concord 2
Second Round
Sunday, November 19, 2023 (at Charleston, WV)
No. 4 Gannon 3, No. 1 Charleston (WV) 1
Sunday, November 19, 2023 (at Kutztown)
No. 3 West Chester 1, No. 2 Kutztown 0
Atlantic Regional Championship
Friday, December 1, 2023
No. 4 Gannon at No. 3 West Chester – 1:00 p.m.
Elite Eight
Sunday, December 3, 2023
East Region Champion (No. 1 Saint Rose/No. 2 Adelphi winner) vs. Gannon-West Chester winner at West Chester, Pa. – 1:00 p.m.

 
THE GANNON-WEST CHESTER SERIES
West Chester leads 12-3-1
The Golden Rams have won the last two meetings against the Golden Knights, with Gannon last defeating the Golden Rams 3-2 in two overtimes in 2018. West Chester defeated Gannon 3-0 in last year's PSAC Championship game and the two met again on November 12 with West Chester edging Gannon 2-1 in the PSAC title game.   
Last Meeting: Nov. 12, 2023 – West Chester 2, Gannon 1 – PSAC Championship Game | RECAP
Gannon and West Chester met three weeks ago in the PSAC Championship game at Kutztown. They battled through a scoreless first half with Gannon holding a 7-5 edge in shots. The Golden Rams finally broke through in the 69th minute for a 1-0 lead. Gannon knotted the match at 1-1 in the 77th minute on a corner kick. Gabby Boden's (Butler, Pa./Butler) corner kick found Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) in front of the goal, and the senior defender headed the ball into the net. West Chester scored the decisive goal at the 81:58 mark thanks to another beautiful pass by Faith Matter, the PSAC East Player of the Year, who also assisted on the first goal. She found Victoria Pungello, who scored the game-winner. The Golden Knights, who were seeking the first PSAC title in program history, were unable to get the tying goal. Gannon outshot West Chester 16-13 and finished with a 9-8 edge in shots on goal.


ERIE, Pa. – Three weeks ago Gannon (17-4-2) and West Chester (16-3-3) met in Kutztown for the PSAC Championship. The Golden Rams would prevail 2-1 thanks to a goal with eight minutes remaining. Now they square off again in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship Game and the stakes are even bigger, with the winner moving on to the Elite Eight.
 
The number four seed in the region, a young Gannon squad reached the Atlantic Region second round for the second straight year with a 1-0 win over Mercyhurst. The victory avenged two earlier losses to the No. 5 seed Lakers.
 
In the second round Gannon had to face top seed Charleston (WV) on its home pitch. The Golden Knights would dominate the action and defeat the Golden Eagles 3-1 to reach the regional final for the first time.
 
Standing in the way of a first-ever Elite Eight appearance is the same team that beat them in the PSAC Championship the last two years – West Chester. A year ago the Golden Rams defeated Gannon 3-0 in the PSAC Championship game, went on to win the Atlantic Regional and reached the NCAA Division II National Championship game before losing to Western Washington.
 
This year the Golden Rams edged Gannon in the PSAC Championship game, 2-1, and have since posted back-to-back 1-0 wins over Frostburg State and Kutztown in the Atlantic Regional.
 
The winner of Friday's Atlantic Regional championship will face the East Regional champion, either Saint Rose or Adelphi. Those two teams play at 10:00 a.m. at West Chester prior to the Gannon-WCU match. The winners will meet on Sunday, December 3 at 1:00 p.m. at West Chester.
 
 
Fast Facts for Gannon and West Chester
 
Gannon Golden Knights (17-4-2)
Head Coach: Colin Petersen (205-161-38, 22nd season)
Leading Scorers: Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) (13G-15A-41 pts); Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (13G-4A-30 pts); Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) (5G-10A-20 pts); Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) (8G-1A-17 pts.); Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) (7G-1A-15 pts)    
Goalkeeper: Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) (16-2-2, 0.97 GAA, .706 save pct, 6 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 (1st Team); Grace Emanuel (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 first appearance in the Sweet 16 after earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season … the Golden Knights reached the PSAC Championship Game for the second straight year … the Golden Knights are the top-scoring team in the PSAC and is fourth nationally with a school-record 65 goals.

West Chester Golden Rams (16-3-3)
Head Coach: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley (254-56-37, 17th season; 398-256-63, 38th season overall)
Leading Scorers: Faith Matter (11G-11A-33 pts); Alyson Cutter (8G-3A-19 pts); Jacqueline Hug (3G-8A-14 pts) 
Goalkeeper: Cassandra Baker (16-3-3, 0.73 GAA, .850 save pct, 11 SHO)
All-PSAC Players: Faith Matter (PSAC East Athlete of the Year, 1st Team); Jacqueline Graham (1st Team); Alyson Cutter (1st Team); Kaitlynn Haughey (1st Team); Julia Raybold (2nd Team)
Fast Facts: Long-time head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley has led West Chester to six Atlantic Region titles (2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2022) and are playing for the region championship for the 11th time. She has reached the NCAA Division II Tournament all 17 years at West Chester University that the NCAA has conducted a postseason … West Chester has not lost in almost two months when East Stroudsburg handed the Golden Rams a 3-0 defeat on October 7. Since then WCU has gone 8-0-2 and enters riding a five-game winning streak with back-to-back shutouts … a year ago West Chester advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship before finishing as the national runner-up with a 2-1 loss to Western Washington.
 
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
2023
vs. Mercyhurst – W, 1-0
at Charleston (WV) – W, 3-1

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 this season 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 205-161-38. 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.

Gannon's Path to the Atlantic Regional Championship Game
The Golden Knights entered the Atlantic Regional as the number four seed and opened with a third match of the season against Mercyhurst. The Lakers came in as the number five seed and had defeated Gannon twice during the regular season. The third time was the charm for the Golden Knights as they handed the Lakers a 1-0 defeat in Charleston, W.Va, Gannon controlled the action, outshooting Mercyhurst by a wide 29-11 margin. They finally broke through at 75:12 from an unlikely source. Maddy Endler (Salem, Ore./West Salem), a sophomore defender, took a deflected crossing pass and gathered it in at the far side of the box. Her blast found the far left corner of the net, sailing past Mercyhurst goalkeeper Maddie Elbro, the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year. It was her first career goal and just her second shot of the season, the first coming earlier in the match. Endler and the rest of the Gannon defense kept the pressure off goalkeeper Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley), who finished with four saves for her sixth shutout of the season.
 
Next up was top-seeded Charleston on the Golden Eagles' home pitch. The young Golden Knights answered every challenge and once again controlled the action, coming away with a 3-1 upset. Gannon took an early 1-0 lead just six minutes into the match when Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) scored on a feed from freshman Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane). The score remained that way through the half until Respecki scored her 13th goal of the season at 57:47. The goal woke up the Charleston attack. Less than two minutes later the Golden Eagles cut the deficit in half at 2-1 with a goal. Nicklas gave Gannon some cushion with second goal of the match and ninth of the season at 74:23, assisted by Boden, as Gannon led 3-1. Sinan finished off the win in goal, finishing with five saves as Gannon outshot Charleston 18-8.

Respecki Selected D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Gannon's Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) was named the Atlantic Region Player of the Year by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) on Tuesday. She was named to the D2CCA All-Atlantic Region First Team along with Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic). Respecki and Emanuel represent the youth on the squad, as both are freshmen, while Bermudez is the grizzled veteran as a graduate student.Respecki has had a memorable freshman season already. She leads the PSAC with 15 assists and 41 points and is tied for the lead with 13 goals. She also leads the PSAC with six game-winning goals, 120 shots and 61 shots on goal. She ranks fourth nationally in assists, is tied for sixth in points, and is tied for 19th in goals. She earlier was named PSAC West Freshman of the Year while earning a spot on the All-PSAC West First Team. Emanuel, a midfielder, also made the All-PSAC West First Team and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Team as a freshman. She is tied with Respecki for the PSAC lead with 13 goals and is tied for 19th nationally in goals. Despite missing the first two games of the season with an injury, she ranks third in the PSAC with 30 points on 13 goals and four assists. She also has four game-winning goals, and she recorded her first collegiate hat trick against Slippery Rock on Sept. 28. Bermudez has had a strong season as a graduate student despite missing several games with injuries early in the season. She is a leader on the Gannon back line, where she uses physical play, instincts, and strong ball skills to defuse opponents' attacks from the middle of the field. However, Bermudez also can score, particularly on the corner kick. She has shown a knack for using headers to convert goals on the corner. She has four goals on the corner kick this year and has added three assists for 11 points, which ties her for sixth on the team. She also had four goals in 2022. Bermudez was previously named to the All-PSAC West First Team. She is a three-time All-PSAC selection, including a first-team selection in 2022 and a second-team honor in 2021.In 2022, she made the United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team.

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 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.
 
Six Golden Knights Named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team.
Gannon had six players named to the CSC Academic All- District® Team recently. The list included the following players: Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) (Psychology, 3.59 GPA), Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) (Physician Assistant, 3.75 GPA), Sammie Dales (Conneautville, Pa./Homeschool) (Doctor of Physical Therapy, 3.85 GPA), Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) (Nirsing, 4.00 GPA), Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) (Exercise Sciences, 3.52 GPA), and Jamie Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) (Occupational Therapy, 3.80 GPA) were honored for their work in the classroom in addition to their efforts on the field. Academic All-District® honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.

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, tied her with her 13th goal vs. Charleston in the Atlantic Regional victory and also added her PSAC-leading 15th assist. Respecki lead the PSAC in points with 41. Emanuel is third in points with 30. All told freshmen have accounted for just under half of Gannon's goals (32 of 65).

Keeping Up with the Record Book 
Gannon has set a school record with 65 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 and Respecki's 13 goals rank sixth in a season. Respecki has set the school record for assists with 15 and ranks second for points in a season with 38. Emanuel, meanwhile, is ninth in season points with 30. Boden has 10 assists to boost her career total to 22. That is tied for sixth in the career records. Goalkeeper Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) has six shutouts in 2023, tied for fifth in a season.
 
17 Wins Second All-Time
Gannon's 17 wins this season are the second-highest total for victories in a season. The 2015 team set the school record with an 18-3-0 record.

Next for the Golden Knights
The winner of the Gannon-West Chester game will return to the same field at West Chester on Sunday, December 3 to face the East Region champion in an Elite Eight game. No. 1 seed Saint Rose and No. 2 Adelphi play in the East Regional championship on Friday. Sunday's match will begin at 1:00 p.m.
 
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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
Sammie Dales

#10 Sammie Dales

F
5' 6"
Graduate Student
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Maddy Endler

#38 Maddy Endler

D
5' 4"
Sophomore
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

Players Mentioned

Leah Bermudez

#2 Leah Bermudez

5' 4"
Graduate Student
Psychology
D
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

5' 7"
Junior
M/F
Sammie Dales

#10 Sammie Dales

5' 6"
Graduate Student
Doctor of Physical Therapy
F
Maddy Endler

#38 Maddy Endler

5' 4"
Sophomore
D
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