Women's soccer pregame

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

Game Preview: Golden Knights Renew Rivalry with Mercyhurst in Early Season Showdown

MERCYHURST LAKERS (4-1-0, 3-0-0 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (2-1-1, 2-0-0 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 16, 2023 | 6:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: McConnell Family Stadium l Erie, Pa.
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LIVE VIDEO
 
 
THE GANNON-MERCYHURST SERIES
Mercyhurst leads 25-11-6
Gannon swept both of last year's meetings by scores of 2-1 at Mercyhurst and 3-1 at McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Knights are 4-0-1 in the last five meetings against the Lakers, with the last loss to their archrivals in 2019. Gannon is 6-0-3 against Mercyhurst on its home pitch and has not lost to the Lakers at McConnell Family Stadium since 2006.

Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2022 – at Gannon 3, Mercyhurst 1 | RECAP
Gannon swept the season series with Mercyhurst thanks to the 3-1 win at McConnell Family Stadium, in the process clinching the number one seed in the Western Division in the PSAC Tournament. Five weeks earlier the Golden Knights prevailed 2-1. In the season's second meeting, the Lakers grabbed a 1-0 lead late in the first half but the Golden Knights roared back with three goals. The first two took place just 19 seconds apart. Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) knotted the match at 1-1 at 58:29, heading in a corner kick. At 58:48 Sarah Fails (Girard, Pa./Villa Maria) followed with the winning goal on a penalty kick. Gannon added an insurance goal with six seconds left in the match on a rainy and windy night.
 
ERIE, Pa. – It's an early-season showdown for the Gannon women's soccer team as crosstown rival Mercyhurst (4-1-0, 3-0-0 PSAC West) visits McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, September 16. The match gets underway at 6:00 p.m.

Head coach Colin Petersen welcomed back a veteran squad featuring three All-PSAC West performers, but it has been a host of talented freshmen that have energized his Golden Knights. They won their second straight game on Monday with a 6-0 win at Pitt-Johnstown that featured five of the goals from freshmen.

Gannon improved to 2-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in the PSAC West with the win at UPJ. The Golden Knights opened conference action with a 3-1 win over Edinboro after a tie and a loss in the season-opening Gannon Invitational. The Golden Knights faced two of the top teams out of the Mountain East Conference to start the season. The season got underway with a 2-2 tie against MEC Southern Division preseason favorite Concord, followed by a 4-1 loss to Charleston (WV).

The Golden Knights have been dominant in the last two wins, outshooting Edinboro 20-6 and Pitt-Johnstown 22-5.

Gannon was chosen as the preseason favorite in the PSAC West after ending 2022 with a 15-4-4 record and claiming first place in the PSAC West with an 11-1-4 ledger. The Golden Knights advanced to the PSAC Championship match before falling short of its first conference crown against West Chester.

They went on to host a four-team pod of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, defeating Fairmont State in a downpour in their opening game, 3-0, before Kutztown ended their season. The 15 wins were the second-highest in school history.

Mercyhurst was picked to finish third in the Western Division after posting a 10-6-4 record and 8-4-4 in the PSAC West. First-year head coach Rich Wall's team served notice they will be a bigger factor this year with a resounding 5-0 win over Slippery Rock on Wednesday. SRU was picked to finish second in the division.

Last Time Out
The Golden Knights had to wait a couple extra days to play at Pitt-Johnstown after the original Saturday, September 9 contest was postponed due to persistent lightning. Two days later they made the trip to Johnstown once again and stormed to a 6-0 win over the Mountain Cats. Four different freshmen accounted for five of Gannon's six goals. The six goals were the most scored by Gannon since a 7-1 win over Indiana (Pa.) on Oct. 28, 2014. Freshman Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) opened the scoring with her first career goal just four minutes into the match. Another highly-touted freshman, Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane), made it 2-0 at the 18 minute mark, and the lead grew to 4-0 at the half thanks to goals by Sammie Dales (Conneautville, Pa./Homeschool) and Amelya Bretz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek). Another freshman, it was Bretz' first career goal. Respecki added a second goal in the second half and Victoria Wheeler (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) became the fourth freshman with a goal in the 81st minute. Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) and Jordan August (Morgantown, W. Va./Morgantown) combined for the shutout in goal.

Head Coach: Colin Petersen was inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2017 after an outstanding four-year career in the mid-1990s. As a head coach, he has achieved even more, compiling 190 wins in 22 seasons while becoming the women's soccer program's all-time winningest coach by a wide margin. The Golden Knights have had a winning record in 14 of the past 15 seasons and have piled up a 27-8-7 record in the past two years heading into 2023.

Three All-PSAC West Players Return
Gannon returned three All-PSAC West performers from a year ago. Bruising defender Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) led the way as a graduate student, but she has yet to make her 2023 debut due to an injury. Bermudez is a two-time all-conference honoree after earning first team accolades last year. She scored four goals last season. Midfielders Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) and Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) also earned All-PSAC West honors, with Fadale named to the first team and also voted the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, while Boden was a second team pick. Fadale finished with eight goals and a pair of assists for 18 points and Boden also garnered 18 points on four goals and a team-high 10 assists.

Freshmen Account for Eight of GU's 12 Goals
To say that first-year performers have provided a boost to the attack would be an understatement. With leading scorer, All-American and PSAC West Athlete of the Year Sarah Fails (Girard, Pa./Villa Maria) departing, head coach Colin Petersen knew his freshmen class would have to step up early. They have in a big way. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) leads the team with three goals and two assists. Last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport), has scored three goals. Victoria Wheeler (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) has two goals and Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./Mcdowell) a goal and an assist, while fellow first-year players Amelya Bretz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) and Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) have a goal apiece. Emanuel has played in just two matches due to an injury.

Both Teams Regionally Ranked
Both Gannon and Mercyhurst appear in the latest United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region rankings. The Golden Knights hold down the ninth spot in the poll while the Lakers are ranked seventh.

Scouting Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst is off to a fast 4-1-0 start and has won all three of its PSAC West contests after being picked to finish third in the Western Division in the coaches preseason poll. The Lakers opened the season with a 2-1 loss at Walsh, but since then have run off four straight wins, all by shutout. The last two came by identical 5-0 scores, including an impressive 5-0 win vs. Slippery Rock on Wednesday. Head coach Rich Wall is in his first season at the helm after serving as the associate head coach at Coastal Carolina. He took over a program that finished 10-6-4 a year ago and was 8-4-4 in conference play. Four players have scored two-or-more goals with freshman forward Corinne Morgan leading the way with three goals. Karah Van Horn, a junior forward who was an All-PSAC West first team selection a year ago, has a pair of goals, both coming on Wednesday vs. SRU. The back line is anchored by Taryn Baxter. The graduate student was the 2022 PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year and is a three-time All-PSAC West selection. Two-time All-PSAC West honoree Maddie Elbro has been outstanding in goal. The senior has allowed just two goals and has a 0.43 GAA and .867 save percentage.

Next for the Golden Knights
Gannon heads back out on the road for its third road game in the last four matches. The Golden Knights play at Clarion on Wednesday, September 20 with the match getting underway at 7:00 p.m. Following the Clarion game Gannon plays three straight home contests in a span of eight days.
 
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Players Mentioned

Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

F
5' 4"
Senior
Early Childhood Education
Jordan August

#1 Jordan August

GK
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Physical Therapy
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
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

M
5' 6"
Sophomore
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

Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

5' 4"
Senior
Early Childhood Education
F
Jordan August

#1 Jordan August

5' 8"
Graduate Student
Physical Therapy
GK
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
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

5' 6"
Sophomore
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