2023 Women's Soccer schedule

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

2023 Women's Soccer Schedule Announced

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's soccer team enjoyed one of its finest seasons in an illustrious history in 2022 and looks to capitalize on that success in 2023. Head coach Colin Petersen has announced the team's 2023 schedule, with ten home games on the slate and a first-ever PSAC Championship and third straight NCAA Tournament berth the goals.  

A former men's soccer standout at Gannon, Petersen enters his 24th season as the head women's soccer coach at his alma mater. A year ago he guided the Golden Knights to a 15-4-4 record, reaching the PSAC Championship game for just the first time and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second straight year. The 15 wins are the second-highest total in school history. Petersen enters the season with 188 career victories.

Gannon defeated Bloomsburg 3-1 in the PSAC semifinals before losing to West Chester 3-0 in its first-ever appearance in the PSAC Championship. The Golden Rams would go on to finish as the Division II national runner-up. The Golden Knights handed Fairmont State a 3-0 defeat in the NCAA Atlantic Regional in a downpour before Kutztown edged them 1-0 in the semifinals.  

"As per usual the schedule is going to be tough!," related the veteran mentor. "We already have an incredibly hard schedule built into the PSAC championship. This year we start with regional games against two of the top teams from the Mountain East Conference. There are playoff implications from game one, so we cannot afford to start slow! We have plenty of experience coming back with a terrific incoming class and I cannot wait to get started."

As Petersen mentioned the season gets underway against a pair of heavyweights from the Mountain East Conference as Gannon hosts the Gannon Invitational to open the 2023 campaign. It is actually the same opening pair of games as in 2022, but this time the Golden Knights will be at home.

Kutztown and Charleston (WV) will square off at McConnell Family Stadium on Thursday, August 31 at 3;00 p.m. with Gannon taking to the pitch for the first time at 6:00 p.m. against Concord. The Mountain Lions were 12-5-2 last year, including a 3-2 win over the Golden Knights. They are 27-2-2 on the road the last four years.

The tournament continues on Saturday, September 2 with Gannon hosting Charleston (WV) once again at 6:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles were 10-10-0, including a 2-0 loss to Gannon, a year ago but reached the MEC semifinals.  

The remaining 16 contests are all against PSAC West competition, as Gannon will face the other eight teams in the Western Division on a home-and-home basis. A year ago the Golden Knights earned the top seed in the PSAC West after finishing at 11-1-4 in league play.

Gannon hits the road for the first time while beginning conference play on Wednesday, September 6, although they won't be leaving Erie County. The Golden Knights renew their rivalry with Edinboro before playing a second straight road contest on Saturday, September 9 at Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cats were the only team to beat the Golden Knights in conference play last year.

The back-to-back road games are followed by a stretch of four home games in five matches, beginning with a showdown with crosstown rival Mercyhurst on Saturday, September 16. The Golden Knights won both games against the Lakers by scores of 2-1 and 3-1.

Gannon hits the road for a match at Clarion on Wednesday, September 20 before Gannon begins its longest homestand of the season. The stretch of three consecutive matches at home begins against California (Pa.) on Saturday, September 23, followed by a home contest vs. Slippery Rock on Wednesday, September 27, and wrapping up with Gannon hosting Seton Hill on Saturday, September 30. Gannon and Seton Hill met three times last year. The first two games ended in 1-1 ties before the Golden Knights shut out the Griffins 2-0 in the PSAC Quarterfinals.

Gannon wraps up the first half of the season on Wednesday, October with a trip to Indiana (Pa.).

The second half gets underway with home games vs. Pitt-Johnstown (Oct. 7) and Edinboro (Oct. 11) before a two-game road swing to California (Pa.) (Oct. 14) and Mercyhurst (Oct. 21).

The final four games of the regular season begin with a home match vs. Clarion on October 25 before back-to-back road games. First is a second meeting with Seton Hill on October 28, and the Golden Knights will celebrate Halloween at Slippery Rock on October 31. The regular season wraps up on Friday, November 3 with Indiana (Pa.) visiting McConnell Family Stadium.

The PSAC Tournament gets underway with the quarterfinals on Monday, November 6. The highest remaining seed from the Eastern Division will host the PSAC Final Four, with the semifinals on Friday, November 10. The 2023 PSAC champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 12.
 
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